Blog Tour with Review: The Princess and the Peacock by C.S. Johnson

The Princess and The Peacock

Who doesn’t love a great fairy tale retelling? That’s why I’m so pleased to share this lovely novella with you. I have an excerpt for you to read, and a chance to win your very own print copy of the book! Enjoy!

Book Cover

The Princess and the Peacock (Birds of Fae #1)

Publication Date: January 25th, 2019

Genre: Fantasy/ Fairy Tale Retelling

The first time I fell in love with Princess Mele was when I saw her smile, and I fell in love with her the second time the moment I heard her sing.

Two memories burn within Kaipo’s heart — the death of his mother, which left him alone to die, and the arrival of Princess Mele, which gave him a new reason to live. Together with his adopted brother, Kaipo seeks out Jaya, the Fae Queen who lives on the Forbidden Mountain, in order to gain the beauty he requires to win Mele’s heart. But Jaya has other plans for the scarred outcast who climbs up her mountain …

The Princess and the Peacock is the first in Birds of Fae, a fantasy fairy tale novella series from C. S. Johnson.

Review:

I was rather surprised by this book and in the pleasant type of way. First person is not my favorite point of view but it works well with this story. The story is told from Kaipo’s point of view beginning when he climbs a mountain to seek a wish from Jaya, the Fae Queen. Jaya answers his wish for beauty by turning him into a peacock. I thought this a creative approach to transformative royalty. Kaipo is not a selfish person but he has trouble seeing his own worth due to the things that have happened to him.

The story, with being a novella, is concise but that doesn’t detract from it being written beautifully. It reads a bit like an old time fairy tale which I loved. There isn’t much detail as far as the world building but I don’t think it’s needed.

The characters in the story were fleshed out. I was so happy when the princess, Mele, actually had a personality! She’s not bland, she’s caring and a bit headstrong. She has her sense of right and wrong and will go for what’s right even if that may not be what is expected of her. I also really felt for Kaipo’s brother, Rahj. With his past and how he had been treated, he was still kind. It was nice to see that even more than Kaipo’s love of Mele, the story centered around Kaipo’s relationship with Rahj.

The pacing felt right for this book, too. It managed to tell a complete story without speeding up the story. The reader was allowed to get close to the characters.

I’m excited that this is the first book in what appears to be a series. I’ll definitely be checking the rest out.

May you get lost in a book,

Chrissy

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About the Author

Author-CS-Johnson

C. S. Johnson is the award-winning, genre-hopping author of several novels, including young adult sci-fi and fantasy adventures such as the Starlight Chronicles, the Once Upon a Princess saga, and the Divine Space Pirates trilogy. With a gift for sarcasm and an apologetic heart, she currently lives in Atlanta with her family. Find out more at http://www.csjohnson.me

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Giveaway Time!!!

Just click the link below to win a paperback copy of The Princess and the Peacock!