Notes from the Shelf

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The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson is a 547-page fantasy novel and is the first in a two-book series. After losing both parents, Bristol Keats and her two sisters struggle to make ends meet in their small town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an aunt she’s never heard of who promises she can help them, she reluctantly agrees and discovers everything she knew about her family was a lie. Her dad might even still be alive, not killed but taken by terrifying creatures to a different realm, the one he’s from.

Desperate to save her dad and finally know the truth, Bristol travels to the realm of fae, gods, and monsters. She makes a bargain with the fae king, Tyghan, to help them find a portal, and he will help her find her dad. But what she doesn’t know is that Tyghan is the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run, and he’s just as determined to find him.

Honestly, I loved this book! I thought the slow build of Bristol and Tyghan’s relationship was realistic, and him keeping his own secrets from Bristol about how he knew her dad added a lot of suspense. I did find it interesting the time differences, that in the mortal world more than 20 years had passed, but in the fae world, it had only been 6 months. I think it was an acceptable explanation for how Tyghan was still around Bristol’s age.

However, I had no idea it was more than one book, and I was severely disappointed in the way it ended, leaving a lot to wrap up in the second book. I kept expecting her to come fully into her powers, but that hasn’t happened yet. I feel like a little too much was left to finish in the second book. Also, the next book doesn’t come out until November! I need the conclusion now!

Just because I didn’t know it was two books, and I’m a bit annoyed how this book ended, I give The Courting of Bristol Keats 4 stars, but seriously, it was a great read.

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