War of the Fae Series by Elle Casey

Rated 4.5 out of 5 Stars
By Elle Casey - On Twitter: @ellecasey ; Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Amazon.
Book 1: The Changeling ~ 2: Call to Arms ~ 3: Darkness & Light ~ 4: New World Order
Reviews relating to this book:
After the Fall - Clash of the Otherworlds Book 1
Between the Realms - Clash of the Otherworlds Book 2
Portal Guardians - Clash of the Otherworlds Book 2

Jayne Sparks is a sassy, foul mouthed, typical teen girl. She hates school, hates her mother's new boyfriend, and absolutely hates boring. Her best friend, Tony, is the biggest nerd in school, but she loves him unconditionally. The day Tony finds out that her mother's boyfriend tried to molest her, he insists that she make a choice. Either run away with him, or he will kill her molester, and the gun he has proves that he's not messing around. They run. Miami is a huge city, filled with runaways, gangs, and prostitutes. But at the train station after realizing they have no money and no where to go, they meet Jared. Jared seems like a nice guy, and he convinces them to return to his warehouse where he offers them food and a place to stay. There are other runaway teens there; Spike- sexy musician with amazing teeth, Becky- tiny girl with a big heart, Finn- southern boy with freckles and a great laugh, Chase- quiet all American boy with huge muscles, and Samantha- bitch extraordinaire. Sleeping on concrete with only a porta-potty for a bathroom and rare meals is not Jayne's idea of living. When Jared, the "leader" of this group of teens brings home an ad for a chance to make money, by taking place in a medical study group, they all jump at the chance. The interviews go well, and all of them but Samantha are accepted into the group. The chance at $500 if they finish the study is too much to pass up, and they all leave Samantha behind in Miami. It turns out, the study ends up being in the middle of nowhere, surrounded on all sides by a thick forest. The leader, Mr. Dardannes and his assistant, Celine inform the teens that the point of the study is to survive. What the hell? They are all given a map, four flags, a flashlight, and enough food and water to last for two days. Their objective is to reach four separate way points that are located throughout the vast forest. Each member of the study group is also given a weapon, informed that there are no laws here and to do what they must to defend themselves. Little do they all know that those weapons will save their lives more than once. Along the way, they encounter vampire-like creatures, gnomes, a pack of hungry werewolves, sirens, and a number of other dangerous creatures. What the hell is this place? Jayne begins to sense a connection with the forest, especially the trees. She can communicate with them, and it seems the trees can communicate back, protecting herself and her friends from harm. As they reach the fourth and final way point, exhausted and running for their lives, they are informed that they must state their "heart's desire" to be free from the forest. Once they all have been allowed entry through the door, they reach a room where Mr. Dardannes and Celine are waiting for them. They inform the teens that they all have been selected because of their Fae blood, but have lost touch with their magic and heritage. They are told that there is a war on the horizon between the Light Fae and the Dark Fae, and their help is needed to win the war. Jayne and her friends are offered the choice to become full Fae, or to return to their human lives- memories of the trial completely erased from their lives. Everyone but Tony, Jayne's best friend agree to become Fae. Tony leaves, on his way back to his family in Florida while Jayne remains at the compound. The words are spoken, and everyone becomes Fae. Spike- an incubus, Becky- a water sprite, Finn- a green elf, Chase- a daemon, and Jayne is an elemental- one who can control the elements. Elementals are extremely rare in the Fae community, and the last time one walked the Earth was more than two centuries ago. Figures. With the help of the entire Light Fae family, Jayne needs to be trained how to control her powers without hurting anyone. As well as how to take on the Dark Fae who are gaining strength and preparing for an attack. She has her friends and her new family, but will they be enough to stop the war looming on the horizon? Or will the Light Fae blink out of existence forever?

I honestly could not put these books down. I read them on a recommendation of a friend of mine, and damn, I'm glad I listened to him. My particular infatuation with the Faerie world was completely satisfied with this series. The plot was well thought and original enough. The characters are very well written, although Jayne can be whiny and full of self pity at times. She is a solid, badass protagonist- she takes zero orders or insults from anyone and tells it like it is. It was filled with sarcastic humor, my favorite kind of course, and I caught myself laughing out loud more times than I can count. The language is on the vulgar side (you won't hear any complaints from me) and probably not suitable for anyone under 17. I enjoyed that there was zero romance, with the exception of a few sexy scenes throughout the four books. It wasn't focused on a Romeo & Juliet style love affair between teenagers, so thank you Elle Casey. This series is full of plot twists, suspense, and drama that makes your heart race and your toes curl. I loved every single minute. There is a follow up series called Clash of the Otherworlds that has officially been moved to the top of my to be read list. I recommend this series for anyone who enjoys the Faerie world, or any urban fantasy junkie.. It was well worth the read and I cannot wait to begin the follow up series!

"Take me to bed or lose me forever. Smiling at my own lame-ass Top Gun humor, I realized that there is one positive side to being blind- I couldn't see anyone's reactions to what I said, so there would be no guilty feelings if I made anyone flinch. Awesome. -Jayne

"I didn't think about my next move, I just did it; I reached out as fast as lightning and slapped him hard across the face. CRACK! My hand came away slightly slimy. I wiped it on the tablecloth with a look of distaste. Ew. That's disgusting. Maybe you should consider face powder or something. Gorm looked at me in stunned astonishment, swallowing the last bite of food with a loud gulp. Did you just... slap me? Yea, I did. And I'll do it again Gorm, if you so much as think about eating me or any of the other fae in this compound. I snapped my fingers in front of his face. Hey! Pay attention here! I'm in the middle of threatening you. I sighed impatiently. Do you understand what I'm saying? No eating the Fae? Fae are not on the menu. He nodded, a chagrined look on his face. Yes Mother. I closed my eyes and tried to find my happy place." - Jayne via Elle Casey

Tags: Faerie, faery, fae, fairy, book review, book review, urban fantasy, vampire, werewolves, shifters, fae, funny, ya, paranormal, book review