#AudioBook #Review: The Winged Fae by Terry Spear - 5 Wine Glasses

Title: The Winged Fae
Series: The World of Fae, #3
Author: Terry Spear
Format: Audio/ebook, 147 pages
Published: September 2nd 2011 by Terry Spear (06-20-14)
ISBN: 0013093517
Narrated by: Jeanne Whitehouse
Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
Format: Unabridged
Links: Goodreads | Kindle | Amazon | Audible | B&N | ARe 
Source: Author
Reviewer: Linda
Rating: 5/5

Serena, a royal member of the Mabara winged fae, has one goal in mind. Stop an impending marriage with a dark fae. As the fae are known to do, she stirs up trouble that she hopes will make her point and get her off the hook. Only nothing goes as she plans.
Niall, a royal member of the Denkar, aka the dark fae, is visiting South Padre Island when he catches a winged fae painting graffiti on a wall on the island claimed by his people. He is at once fascinated with the lovely girl and intrigued by her audacity, but as one of the Denkar, he must take her to task. Yet she's armed with a sleeping potion that makes his life intolerable. Between freeing her from his people's dungeon, her own tower, and fighting a knight in her honor, he wonders if he's lost his mind over one beautiful winged fae--when she's betrothed to his cousin!

Thoughts:
***THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE AUDIBLE EDITION OF THE WINGED FAE by Terry Spear***

"Sweet as the lips that once you pressed."
            —William Winter


THE WINGED FAE by Terry Spear is the third book in Terry's World of Fae series.    It's an utterly enchanting fantasy for young readers and those who are young at heart.  I have thoroughly enjoyed the prior two books in her World of Fae series and this one was the best yet!   This book can be enjoyed as a standalone, but I would highly recommend that this series be read in order as there are interconnected characters from  the previous books who come back to frolic in this one in major roles. 

THE WINGED FAE is the tale of Princess Serena, a royal member of the Mabara winged fae, and Count Niall, a royal member of the Denkar, aka the dark fae.  As the story opens, Princess Serena has but one thought on her mind:  to avoid her arranged marriage with a certain dark fae.  Niall is visiting South Padre Island when he glimpses Serena painting graffiti on a wall there.   South Padre Island is strictly Denkar territory and other fae are not welcome there.  He's intrigued by Serena's audacity but when he attempts to accost her to take her to task for trespassing and vandalism , she drugs him with a debilitating Mabara sleeping potion.

"Oh, what had she done?"
He'd startled her; that was the problem.  It was all his fault he was lying on the ground, looking rather cherub like, his blond hair curling about his ears, his bright blue eyes closed now, his masculine lips parted slightly as he slept the sleep of the dead.
She studied his masculine lips.  And thought just how much havoc she could wreak if she kissed him.  Served him right for startling her so.
Without analyzing whether she should do it, and just because she could, she pressed her mouth against his and gently kissed his lips, meaning only to give a quick peck and that was it....
His lips curved up under hers and for a second, she thought he was awake, smiling at her kissing him....

Oh my!  One kiss that precipitates so much havoc!  I loved both of these characters!  Serena is an effervescent spirit who seems to have calamity for a middle name.  She certainly gets in more pickles than a deli could ever serve.  Niall is quite beguiled by her intrepidity and her shenanigans and just wants an antidote she has promised him to the sleeping potion.   As they cavort from one misadventure to another, he becomes quite the sweetheart and her protector of sorts attempting with questionable success to keep her out of trouble.  The romance is all sweet as can be and wonderfully entertaining.

Following please find a few more of my favorite quotes illustrating the sweet-as-honey narrative:

---
Niall didn't even wait for her to finish what she had to say, but pulled her securely into his arms and kissed her, sweetly, tenderly, lovingly.  She melted, her own sense reeling.  She tentatively kissed him back, saw his eyes darkening....
"You kissed me," she said softly, touching her lips with the tip of her finger, unable to think of anything else.
"Aye.  You didn't give me an opportunity to kiss you back the last time.  You had me at a decided disadvantage.  But it was time for me to take my turn."
---
Serena felt that she really had no choice and explained, "A dragon fae knight challenged Niall to joust because Niall kissed me."... she hadn't exactly meant to mention the kiss.
He (Niall) offered his own explanation.  "Which I only mentioned to the knight because I have every intention of stopping him from getting his greedy hands on you," Niall said, irritation evident in his voice.
---
She squeezed Niall's hand and bleakly said, "I don't want you hurt."
"Oh, Serena, that's all I have to know."  And with that, he kissed her so passionately, she felt as though she had fae transported to the moon and back...
---

There were numerous humorous scenes and the couple's bantering was often hilarious.  My favorite scene involved Niall's rescue of Serena from the tower where her mother had banished her.  It originally brought to mind the story of Rapunzel but I caught myself laughing out loud when the hero fell asleep in the middle of his dramatic rescue!  Besides the reappearance of favorite characters from the previous books, I couldn't stop smiling at the old witch;  She took quite a liking to Niall.  There's chivalrous knights and evil villains too.

The fairy world Terry has created is charming, original and refreshing.  Her writing is top-notch, as always.  Even though the characters are fae, they felt genuine and I easily related to each of them.

Jeanne Whitehouse's performance as the narrator was amazing.  She did an excellent job with this book as she has with this whole series-to-date.  Her voice is clear and easily understood.  She portrays and differentiates between the characters exceptionally well,  capturing the essence of each of them.  I could actually hear their emotions through her portrayals.  I would certainly look for other books that Jeanne has narrated in the future.

Bottomline:  I'm a huge fan of Terry's books and she has never once disappointed me. THE WINGED FAE is no exception.  If you love to read light-hearted,  FUN tales teeming with whimsy and playfulness, THE WINGED FAE is the book for you!  I can't wait to see what Terry has in store in the next World of Fae book,  THE ANCIENT FAE.