Well two reviews actually! A Duology series written by Jayne Castel with two titles.
The Enforcer’s Bride Series combines Scottish Mythology and Celtic themes. Book 1 is Bound by Deception, and Book 2 is Ashes of Betrayal. I came across this author via social media and was instantly drawn to her posts’ provoking imagery. There is a focus on standing stones, and it gives off Outlander vibes. I love the show, so I had a look at her titles. The books have themes that intrigued me. I am currently writing my own Scottish and Celtic mythology fantasy series, and I was doing a little research if you like. I want my series to stand independently, so I was keen to read these books to ensure I wasn’t inadvertently impinging on another author’s ideas.
The first book sets the scene and introduces you to the main character, Bree. A 300-year-old Fae assassin with little thought or empathy for those she is ordered to kill by her Fae Queen. A war is brewing between the kingdoms of the Fae and the mortal world, and the standing stones are the portal to both worlds. Fae can cross the standing stones and take on a mortal human’s guise, so Bree is tasked with a mission.
This mission is different from her usual requests of her Queen. No longer asked to be an assassin, she is asked to be a spy. The Queen has learned that the High King’s chief enforcer has ordered a bride, a woman he has never met, and Bree’s new mission is to take on the identity of this bride-to-be. The enforcer she is to marry… well, he is responsible for hunting and killing her Fae kind. A promising narrative was set up early into the novel, and I was keen to see how Bree’s mission would go.
It didn’t disappoint. Bree learns about humans by reading the diary of the girl she is impersonating and manages to remain undetected while she discovers all she can about the High King’s plans. Meanwhile, the enforcer Cailean was pressed into this arranged marriage and is reluctant, if interested, to get to know his new bride at all. I was now invested and wanted to read on to know more.
Without giving too much of the narrative away, I was taken on a journey with some amusing scenes and some heart-wrenching twists as well. We come to know many characters in the human world, and they add to the diverse people that Bree meets and genuinely begins to like. With her heart torn between duty and a sense of friendship she has never experienced, Bree battles these contrasting emotions as the story comes to its conclusion.
I rated this book 5 stars because it didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed how the author included some of the many mythological beings that have been written about for centuries in Celtic folklore. It is a good fantasy read, and the relationships Bree develops are warming, given how she is described at the start of the novel. The magic is there but does not take away from the narrative. It is crucial to the plot but doesn’t overshadow the reader’s experience of developing relationships.
Book 2 had a different feel. The characters are on a different path, but it still includes all the elements of the first book that drew me in as a reader. With new characters being introduced, we learn and understand more of the overarching themes drawn out in the first book. It gives the narrative substance and helps to immerse the reader in this fantasy world with magic, deception, games of war and the fallout of all the decisions the Fae Queen and the High King make in their personal quests for more power or revenge.
I’d highly recommend this duology if, like me, you enjoy fantasy with Scottish and Celtic themes, with friendships that hold the reader’s interest. I read both books over a week and really enjoyed the plots and twists that ran through both novels. If you want to read this duology, I have linked the titles beneath this post. Or why not pop over to my website, where I have titles by other independent authors that I am pleased to showcase on my site?
Have a great day folks!
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE PUBLISHED 
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