Review by Booklist Review
A young woman uncovers her parents' past--and much more--in the first adult novel from best-selling YA author Pearson (Vow of Thieves, 2019). Bristol Keats has never known stability. Growing up, the only thing that was certain was her parents' ability to take her and her sisters on the run. After the family landed in Bowskeep and decided to stay, Bristol thought she would finally be able to call a place home. That fantasy didn't last long, though, because soon after they arrived in town, her parents died. When a series of events leads Bristol to believe her father might still be alive, she makes a deal with the fae and enters an unfamiliar world to save him. What she encounters there--including an embittered fae leader with an ulterior motive--upends everything she thought she knew and makes her question if home really is where the heart is. The Courting of Bristol Keats is an ambitious fantasy that interweaves political intrigue and spicy romance while also touching on themes of family, friendship, and self-discovery. Fans of Sarah J. Maas--style romantasy will want to check this one out.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Peterson (Vow of Thieves) underwhelms in this overly long, paint-by-numbers fae romantasy, the first in a duology. After a lifetime on the run from their parents' unknown enemies, Bristol Keats and her sisters made a home in Bowskeep, but maintaining their run-down house has left them impoverished. With their mother and father dead, they have no hope for the future and no answers about their past, until a mysterious letter offers Bristol a rare piece of art belonging to her great-aunt. This, however, is actually a fae trick to make Bristol serve Tyghan, king of the Danu Nation. Tyghan and his court believe Bristol is bloodmarked and has the power "to navigate between worlds, to create portals, and to close them," a skill they need to defend themselves against King Kormick, whose own bloodmarked monster has supplied him with an inexhaustible army. Bristol agrees to serve Tyghan after learning that her father isn't dead after all--he's been taken by trows, a type of wild fairy. Unfortunately, the secrets Bristol discovers about her parentage puts her blossoming relationship with Tyghan into an unsettling context and sours the romance, which plays out as a checklist of tired romantasy tropes. There's little to make this stand out. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary. (Nov.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
In Pearson's (Vow of Thieves) adult debut, Bristol has recently lost both of her parents and is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her two sisters. When a long-lost aunt comes to town, wanting to see her and gift her an invaluable piece of art, Bristol is forced to meet with her. Along the way, an eccentric local tells Bristol that her father was actually kidnapped, not killed. Now she will do anything to find her dad, including making a deal with Tyghan, a fae king. Tyghan needs Bristol to come to Elfhame and find a door. A door for what, he won't reveal, but he believes she has what it takes to find it. In return, he will help her search for her father, whom, unbeknownst to Bristol, Tyghan has been hunting for 26 years. VERDICT With a descriptive narrative and fantastic characters, Pearson expertly draws readers into the world of Elfhame. Great for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Heather Fawcett.--Leigh Verburg
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A fae king falls for a sassy pizza delivery driver in this slow-burn romantic fantasy. Months after the death of their father, Logan Keats, leaves them orphaned (they think), a trio of down-on-their-luck sisters receive an intriguing proposition: meet with their great aunt and leave with a priceless work of art. There's just one problem. Logan grew up in foster care and had no relatives. Bold youngest child Bristol seizes her chance to make the family some much-needed cash, only to find herself surrounded by monsters. As it turns out, Logan grew up in the fairy realm of Elphame and his daughter may hold the power to save the fae world from utter destruction. The news that her father might still be alive in Elphame, coupled with fae king Tyghan's promise to help her search for him, makes for an offer Bristol simply can't refuse. Little does she know, Tyghan knew both her parents back before she was born. Her mortal-born father fell for her mother, leading him to betray Tyghan , and the lovers went on the lam in the mortal realm. Also unbeknownst to Bristol, the king is certainly not planning to give either of her parents a warm welcome once he finds them. Though not as tightly plotted as one might hope, Pearson's latest offering dishes up plenty of fun for romantasy fans, with a slowly simmering passion that builds for more than half the novel. Readers looking for a well-researched fae novel with plenty of traditional fairy lore will delight in the little moments Bristol and Tyghan's story has in store for them. The worldbuilding is top-notch, although some readers may find the occasional lore drop a smidgen too info-dumpy for their tastes. Some sections become sluggish, as Pearson tells rather than shows the story, but these are few and far between, and reader interest should hold on throughout. A fun and sometimes steamy romp through fairyland. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
