The Outcast Prince by Shona Husk

July 10th, 2013 Kimberly Review 88 Comments

10th Jul
The Outcast Prince by Shona Husk
The Outcast Prince
by Shona Husk
Series: Courts of Annwyn #1
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star

Caspian Mort can feel the history in anything he touches, a gift he inherited from his father, the Crown Prince of Annwyn. Devastated over his ex-wife's infidelity, Caspian has withdrawn from human contact except when working as an antique dealer.  While assessing the contents of the historic Callaway House he encounters the beautiful Lydia Callaway and senses that her home is haunted by a banished fairy. But what does the dangerous exile want? Unbeknownst to Lydia, she's the owner of the last remaining portal to Annwyn—a mirror hidden somewhere in the house. To keep Lydia safe, Caspian will have to divulge the secrets of his heritage, and risk losing his heart again

 
I was immediately drawn to the synopsis of The Outcast Prince from Caspian Mort’s ability to the historical Callaway House and was eager to dive in. Husk offers up an interesting tale mixed with fantasy, mystery, and romance. I found this to be an entertaining start to the Court of Annwyn series. Three-word review: suspenseful, intriguing and enjoyable.

The tale begins when we meet Caspian Mort a changling (in this book the term means half fairy) who is able to glimpse the past when he touches items. This skill is an asset in his career as an antique dealer. It also has its downside like causing him to discover his wife’s infidelity. As the human son of the Crown Prince of Annwyn, he is bound by fairy rules and has managed to do so. When he accepts a job assessing the contents of the Calloway House the tale that unfolds brings danger that could cost his soul and a woman who could cost him his heart.

Caspian is such an interesting character. All of his life he has hidden his abilities from the human world and ignored the fairies, brownies and other supernatural Fae. He has been deeply hurt by his ex and this adds a little vulnerability to his character. He is bright, swoon-worthy with green eyes quite capable of melting your spine. Lydia Callaway is sentimental and struggling with the loss of her grandma and the real possibility she may lose her ancestral home. The faeries and supernatural creatures in this tale are dark and it added suspense.  The attraction and slow building romance were sweet and I found myself believing in them.

Husk delivered interesting worlds both in the present and the kingdom of Annwyn. Faeries have always been one of the darkest supernatural creatures I have encountered and I loved that she kept their darker elements. The hierarchy and rules for faeries were fascinating and while not entirely new she did add a few twists to make them her own. I really liked the Callaway house, its history, and artifacts. The search for the mirror added suspense as did Lydia’s involvement. While things are not completely fleshed out I felt it was a solid beginning and I am eager to learn more. It appears each book will contain a fairy and their complete story along with an overall ARC regarding Annwyn and the series. The romance developed fairly quickly out of attraction but slowly developed into something more which made it feel genuine. We get some hot scenes with just enough detail to heat the pages but were tastefully done. The flow was fairly smooth, with twists and turns that kept me captivated and I consumed this in two sittings. Overall I feel it was a solid start and look forward to more.

Fans of fantasy and paranormal romance will enjoy The Outcast Prince. Lord of the Hunt and To Love A King is expected to publish in 2014. This is a clever tale on faeries for adults to enjoy with a side dish of romance

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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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88 Responses to “The Outcast Prince by Shona Husk”

  2. tsukikomew

    I’m sort of on the faeries are cool if they aren’t cheesy.

  4. Ada H

    Hmm, I do like faeries but I don’t think I have a favorite. I don’t know nearly enough about them to have one! Thanks for the giveaway!

  5. Dena

    I didn’t know there were different kinds of fairies. I guess that shows how much I know! 😉

  6. Michelle

    I love fairies! The Fae are super diverse and I love that you can actually link other supernatural creatures to them. I don’t have a favorite but Kelpies are really cool (the horse version…not the hairy man version) and Phouka are pretty funny.

  7. Angela Pratt

    I love fairies. I love all different kinds. I like that people don’t always write about good fairies. Some of the fairies that I’ve read about are mean and nasty.

    If you like the history aspect where he can feel the history of an object, read The Dig by Michael Siemsen. Doesn’t have the paranormal aspect to it, but his main character Matthew Turner can touch an object and live the memories that are imprinted on it. Really good book.

  8. Sebella Blue

    I love books about the Fae. I love the Tuatha de Danan.

  9. harvester5905

    I like reading about fairies. I don’t have a favorite type.

  12. Kamla L.

    I LOVE Shona’s Shadowlands series. The Court of Annwyn sounds like another great series to feed my PNR addiction. Is this going to be another trilogy or is there more books planned?

  14. kindlemom1

    I have never been a huge fan of fairies but I like that darker version of them as well.
    This sounds like a really interesting read and ummm, yeah, I am liking that cover. 😉

  15. Lindy Gomez

    I sure do like the cover of this book! LOL This book sounds way different from my usual reads, but it sounds interesting! I like the whole idea of the M.C. being able to touch an object and get a glimpse of the past. Plus, I’ve read a lot of great series with faeries, and have a weak spot for them! Great Review! As always, it’s very thoughtful, and well-written 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    Lindy@ A Bookish Escape

  17. Diamond Nazaneen

    I love supernatural and fantasy novels. That’s why it’s surprising that I haven’t read too ,any books with Faeries in them. I did read one recently that painted them as a seperate race that was almost extinct but that lived hidden in the woods during the time of Vikings. That was pretty cool, but they weren’t a focal pt in the story. Anyways, I just feel that since I haven’t read much in the way of Faeries, I can’t really judge what I like and don’t like. Can I get back to you on that? Lol

  18. thegeekyblogger

    I am on the fence where Fae are concerned. Sometimes I adore them and other times I think too “trickster” like. I do think I would like this series though as they are written as love interest and tend to be more likable in that setting.

  19. Sharon - Obsession with Books

    Ooh, I love reading books about the fae and this one sounds like it has all the elements I tend to enjoy. I’m loving that cover & Caspian’s ability certainly sounds interesting.

    A wonderful review Kimba! 🙂

  27. Nick

    I’m not the biggest fans of faeries because they freak me out a little, but I love a good fantasy book. This one sounds like one. Caspian sounds like he totally made you swoon. I actually might like him!
    I hadn’t heard of this one before, so thanks for sharing, Kim!
    Lovely review! 🙂

  29. Traci Horton

    I love books with faeries, there are so many types and each can be deadly in their own ways. To pick a favorite, I like selkies (they can shift from seal to human form) but a brownie might be nice to help me keep the house clean so I can read more 😀

  30. Jenny

    I’m sorry Kimba, I can’t even forma coherent sentence about your review because I’m too busy staring at the hotness on the cover. Give me a minute…..

    ….

    Okay. Done staring. I like the sound of the romance in this one! I can completely believe in a relationship that forms quickly from attraction, but I’m glad the more emotional aspect of it takes a little longer. I don’t think I can miss this one, thanks for putting it on my radar!

  31. Debbie Haupt

    Thanks Kim I LOVE this cover, I’m entering 🙂

  32. Jenea Whittington

    I am always up for a good faerie book, and if they look like him, I’m in! Great review. It really does sounds good too.

  33. Kristin

    I’ve not heard of this one before but it sounds good. It’s kind of cool getting to see a faerie story from a male pov. The only thing I’m leery of is the romance aspect. I’m not a big fan so don’t know if this would work for me or not.

  34. laurie goudge

    Fairies are a complicated bunch. I do enjoy them more when they fall on the dark side.

  35. Erin F

    Haven’t really read a lot about faeries so I don’t have too much of an opinion 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

  36. candacerobinson

    I don’t have a favorite faery I guess, they are so different in every book. I do love reading about them though! This book sounds great and I love that cover!

  37. Tammy

    I don’t have a favorite type of Faerie but Faerie books tend to be the most hit & miss for me, either I love them or I don’t, no in between.

  43. kimbacaffeinate

    I have been there done that…comment what comment, what did I read? Anna @ Herding Cats and Burning Soup is the worse, she puts man candy at the bottom of each post and it wipes out any thoughts I have..bwahahaha!

  44. Guest

    I like Shona Husk and love her Shadowlands series. If you enjoyed this one then I’ll add it to the pile (the pile with no end) lol – thanks for sharing Kim!

  50. Lauren

    I love when authors keep the fae dark, those are my favorite versions of fae stories, and they’re always so much more suspenseful! Caspian sounds absolutely swoonworthy, and I feel so bad for him! I hope he gets the love he deserves with Lydia. Lovely review! 🙂

  51. Heidi

    I read a review of this last week on Mury Girl Castle’s blog and I thought it sounded like a fun little read. I am all for a sexy male protag I don’t get too many of them. My fav these days is Atticus from Iron Druid. I will be interested to check this one out.

  52. Texas Book Lover

    I have only read a handful of farie books but few I have like have been pretty dark. I will say I really like this cover.

  56. Melissa (Books and Things)

    Oh in a lot of ways I like adult fae stories better than YA! You can do so much more with them. Like you said… you can keep the darker elements in the story. Oh and he does sound very swoony! I guess that is my favorite type. LOL Oh and YaY for slow building romance in a story! 😀

  58. Jo

    I like the idea of the more dangerous fairies, out of touch with the human world – Disney fairies don’t do it for me!

  60. LadyBug Literature

    The only fairies that come to mind when thinking of fairies are garden fairies. The ones that make plants and crops grow? Those I may believe in due to the fact that I have seen some pretty amazing things come out of soil that you wouldn’t think would grow anything.

  64. Barbara E.

    I like faeries such as the ones in Jaye Wells’ Sabina Kane series much better than the tiny flying fairies like Tinkerbell.

  69. Chelsea

    I like fairies but I have not read enough books with them to have really landed on a favorite type of fairie yet.

  70. Darlene's Book Nook

    I have to admit that I haven’t read very many books involving fae, but that’s not because of lack of interest. The only fae that I can recall reading about lately are the ones that are in the Mercy Thompson series. I’ve wanted to try one of Husk’s books for a long time, so I was excited to see this giveaway. Thanks!!

  73. Aurian

    I so want to read this series/author, it is on my wishlist.

  75. Anita H.

    I don’t read enough of about faeries to have a favorite! I don’t even know the many types of them! I’m adding this book to my TBR pile. Cheers for the giveaway 🙂

  76. Shan

    Sounds right up my ally! The faerie addition should be interesting. I have been obsessed with faeries since the Wicked Lovely series

  77. Wayne Lecoy

    Please enter me in your giveaway.
    It would be great to win a copy of The Outcast Prince by Shona Husk.
    In response to your question of What do you think of faeries? Do you have a favorite type?
    I think faeries are very interesting characters but i haven’t read many books that featured them.
    I don’t have a favorite type but i think this would be an interesting book to read.
    Thank you for having this giveaway!!!!!!!!

  78. Danielle Chapman

    I am not really into fairies so I don’t have an opinion on them. Thanks for the giveaway!!

  85. Lee

    I love dar faeries and have enjoyed the worlds of Wicked Lovely and Anny Sinclair! Thanks so much for the giveaway!

  87. kimbacaffeinate

    so far there are two more books planned that will both release in 2014..but the author feels like there are more stories about the fae in her….we shall see!