4.3 stars, and this one should have been an easy 5-star read for me if it only had a lot more action scenes within.

If you’re interested in reading a fantasy book introducing other country/culture’s history and mythology—then Secrets of the Fae series by Rebecca F. Kenney, with Korrigan as its first book, will surely fit in your TBR.

Based on the rich history of Irish mythology, the story revolved on our main character Aislinn Byrne, a seventeen year old half-Korrigan, half-Druid who is somehow cursed and becomes a Beast at daylight unless she choose to life-steal from human, like what most Korrigans do. Placed in a modern setting of this prevailing era, Aislinn, together with the remaining Korrigans, managed to put the odds on their favor as they continue pulling out days from humans, particularly babies, to prolong their ability to walk under the sun without transforming into a beast. The catch with this book is the introduction of Aislinn into the Life-Stealing process since she just turned seventeen at the beginning of the story and how will the magic of the world will unravel the mystery and history of being a Fae in this modern world. With the inclusion of the evil character Far Darrig in the plot, will Aislinn be able to continue her escape from being a Korrigan and manage to live a normal teen life or will she remain trapped under the chamber of the past and remain prisoned under the dungeon of her grandmother queen’s supervision.

Packed with Irish mythology, romance, and adventure with a wee sprinkle of action and suspense, Korrigan is a great diverse read for those who want to expand their knowledge on other versions of mythology. In my own opinion, this one is a bit of a mix between a fantasy and contemporary since it gave me the vibe of reading a light contemporary read—and I love when a fantasy-based book gave me the appeal of being light instead of being all heavy and dragging.

Another key point that made me engage in this book until the last page of this book is the clear and vivid backstory and explanation of Irish mythology which made it easier to comprehend for readers like me who does not have even an ounce of clue about Irish myth.

And where is the remaining 0.7 star I chose to chop off my overall rating, well, I really want to have an honest review and I will stand by myself in saying that this book lacked of action-packed scenes which is the first thing I want from a fantasy and mythology-based read. Another thing is I also have an unsure feeling whether I liked the character development of Aislinn Byrne in this book but maybe it’s Rebecca’s way of embodying how hard is it for Aislinn’s character to fit in the human world—just a wild guess.

So that’s it for my review. I heard that this book is a trilogy and I’m really looking forward to read what’s next to Aislinn’s story. For the meantime, here are some quotes I highlighted from the story


BEST QUOTE/S:

“I didn’t tell you because I know how foolish the young are. Everything seems so important and so irresistible when you’re young. Pain, sorrow, anger, love, revenge – they are emotions too powerful for you to handle.”

“What you gotta focus on is the people who do care about you, the ones that see you. And even if there aren’t many of them— or any – of those, know that someday there will be. Until then, you are enough. You are strong enough to be okay, just you.”

“Be careful, precious. Things that are different can bring danger with them. Just because we accept difference doesn’t mean it’s safe.”