The Lord of Mist and Mead is a Fantasy Romance Novel by Susan Golden. Abigail Sumner is a proper young woman with a sharp wit and high intelligence who, out of desperation, runs away with zero plans but a clawing need for escape. This act has her running into the path of Killian Greydawn, a Fae lord, with so much obligation and fading hope for the Fae realm under his protection that the lovely Abigail is not only a wonderful distraction but a glimmer of hope in his world of darkness. Is his fancy—his desire to keep her—a hindrance to his obligation or the push he needs to fight for a better future?
I loved both Killian and Abigail from the very first chapter. They seemed to bounce off each other immediately, and I found them both to be very humorous. Abigail is an open book with her newfound freedom, and I enjoyed every second of her finding her feet in this realm and the new life she is creating for herself. She is a lot smarter and stronger than I think at times she gave herself credit for, and you see this strength grow. This desire to have this life and to have this man brings this fire out of her, and it was glorious to see.
I equally loved the journey for Killian; he is a man with great obligation, and here comes Abigail, a glimmer of hope that makes him see beyond his troubles and makes him want to fight to survive for himself rather than allowing himself to take the burden of the realm on his shoulders. Abigail was something outside of it all, something he could claim for himself if he desired, and I think that was initially his reason for needing to take her and keep her because she was not a part of this obligation, but it quickly turns into him realising she is his anchor from slipping into complete darkness. She is his walking, living, breathing hope and light. Abigail is something worth fighting the world to keep, and she feels just as strongly about Killian.
I have to mention Valarian as well because even though I was slightly unsure of his behaviour at the beginning of the book towards both Abigail and Killian, I understood where he was coming from as the book went on. Killian may have carried this great burden of obligation on his shoulders, but he was never fully alone in it. Valarian was always there, always helping, and always trying to push him to act. I found Valarian to be humorous, but his love for Killian as a brother and as his lord was always guiding his behaviour, so I loved that he almost admitted to his jealousy at having to share Killian with Abigail. It just made me love him more.
As much as I loved Abigail and Killian and how drawn they were to each other, they fit just perfectly. I went through a lot of emotions in the last twenty pages of this book, and ultimately I was left with frustration at the ending. I think I knew the revelation Abigail dropped on Killian was coming long before she sat in that bedroom thinking it over, and I adored how Killian was going to solve it one way or another; it was very touching. However, after that hard conversation in the meadow, I felt that the ending felt a little flat. I love HEAs and I love epilogues, but it almost felt that the epilogue was unnecessary, but that may just be from all of the emotions I was thrown through—from a perfect moment to a heartbreaking one, and then wrapping everything up in a nice bow—I felt emotionally wrought. Due to this, I am rating The Lord of Mist and Mead Three out of Five Stars.
Abigail and Killian are well matched in intelligence and wit, and I enjoyed every moment of witnessing Abigail blossom and Killian regain his hope. I have not read a great deal of Fae Fantasy books yet, so I can only suggest that if you enjoyed ACOTAR, then you may well enjoy The Lord of Mist and Mead. In fact, it felt almost as though Fae magic meets Regency romance, and I loved that. I would recommend The Lord of Mist of Mead to fantasy lovers and new adult readers; while most fade to black, there are prelude scenes that have some mild heat. Susan Golden creates a wonderful world and equally wonderful characters with the happiest of HEAs. I look forward to reading more books by this Indie author. Thank you for broadening my Fae Fantasy journey, Susan Golden, and allowing me to ARC for you!
Favourite Quotes
““The trapped often do not know precisely what to do when set free.””
page 32
““Righteous indignation. It is quite adorable,””
page 104
“Sometimes that is all the plan you need – the will to fight.”
page 111
““You are a part of this court. More importantly, you are mine.””
page 117
“She was what he wanted. She was not what he was owed.”
page 205
““I want to give you the night. I want to give you the moon and the stars. I want you to feel all that is here flow through you. I want to wrap you in it until you are one with the vastness of the dark heavens. This place is me and I want to give you all of me.””
pages 230-231
Pre-order now for just $2.99 (or £2.40) on Amazon. This sale will run until the publication date: 12th September 2023, when the price will change
Finer Details:
Title: The Lord of Mist and Mead
Author: Susan Golden
Pages: 250
Publisher: Susan Golden
Publication: 2023
Language: English
Rating: 3/5