The Tairen are powerful winged cats that live inside the bodies of the Fey. Rain Tairen Soul, the King of the Fey and of the Fading Lands, is facing the extinction of his people. One thousand years ago, Rain scorched the earth after his mate was killed in the Mage Wars. Now, knowing that his people are dying, he turns to the Eye of Truth for help. In it he sees Celieria, a mortal city. Not understanding the meaning of the vision, he joins the annual trek of truthseer Marissya to the city, not knowing what lies in store for him.

In Celieria, Ellysetta Baristani, the adopted daughter of woodcarver Sol Baristani and his wife, Lauriana, is facing a crisis of her own. Her mother wants her to wed Den Brodson, the butcher’s son. Ellie has always dreamed of magic, and loved hearing tales and poetry of the Fey, and wants nothing to do with Den. But when he forces his mark upon her, she has no choice. Until Rain Tairen Soul appears out of the sky and claims her as his shei’tani, his true mate, the other half of his soul.

Ellie, fearful of magic because of childhood experiences, doesn’t want to join with Rain, but agrees to accept his courtship. Rain knows that Ellie, and the power that lies deep within her, is the key to saving his race.

Beautifully written and extremely seductive, Lord of the Fading Lands weaves a spell around its readers much as the Fey weave spells of their own. The characters are so perfectly drawn that you feel as if they will step out of the pages of the book and appear before you.

The bond between Rain and Ellie tore at my heart and made me sigh with pleasure and longing. Yet all is not peaches and cream with this story. The evil threatening the Fey, and Ellie, is real and frightening, and made me shiver in more than one place.

Lovers of fantasy will want to snatch up Lord of the Fading Lands as soon as possible. The second book in the series, Lady of Light and Shadows, comes out in November, and believe me when I say you will want to have read the first one so you can dive right into the second one.

C.L. Wilson has penned a fantastic novel that I highly recommend. The term Recommended Read doesn’t come close to describing how much I loved reading Lord of the Fading Lands.