Review: The Scald Crow by Hanna Park

Today, I'm delighted to welcome Hanna Park to Ruins & Reading. I'm sharing my review of her new novel, The Scald Crow. If you love intriguing romantic fantasy set across the worldly divide, this one's for you. Read on!

The Scald Crow is currently on blog tour with Yarde Book Promotions. Find other fascinating tour stops HERE!

 

The Scald Crow

 

(Beyond the Faerie Rath Book 1)

 

Hanna Park

 

 

 

Review:

 

Welcome to Ireland – the land of a thousand welcomes, and the hazy otherworld; the faeries; the dark side.

 

We meet Calla, a former news journalist recently arrived from Canada, on her way to a cottage she has inherited from an unknown uncle. A flock of sheep sends her careering off the country road into a bog, with the hire car a write-off.

 

While the car is towed back to Dublin, she gets picked up by Colm O'Donnell who takes her to her destination – the village of Ardara on Ireland's west coast. He's also arrived from Canada, on a visit to his family. And he's had a crush on Calla, but she mustn't know that. Colm also hides a family secret – his brother Ciaran disappeared years earlier, sending him into a downward spiral which led to him leaving his home and family.

 

Now, Calla is going to settle here, and he faces a dilemma. And not only one. When his father dies later the same day, he realises that Calla is not quite what she seems. Is he ready to face the unknown, with all its consequences?

 

Meanwhile, Calla makes an unexpected acquaintance that gives us readers a closer glimpse at her hidden side. Is Calla human? Or is she a faerie, out to cause havoc?

 

Well, you should really read the novel to find out!

 

I really enjoyed Calla's & Colm's first encounter – told with a subtle sense of humour, but also with strong undercurrents that hint at long-kept secrets. From then onwards, the story continues through the eyes of several characters, all clearly defined and all interconnected. These different points of view make for interesting reading.

 

They allow us to understand the wider setting, and the worlds those characters inhabit. But ultimately, they also leave us with more questions, so we keep turning the pages, as Ms Park is in no hurry to enlighten us. Patience is key...

 

The frisson between Calla and Colm is instantaneous, and remains obvious throughout, but it isn't always healthy. In its wake, we find jealousy, insecurity, and envy, but also fear and suspicion. It's a heady mix that makes for enthralling reading.

 

Ms Park has created a captivating fantasy romance set across the realms of reality, with plenty of secrets and surprises, and the remote western Irish setting allows it all to unfold perfectly. Prepare for goosebumps and shivers, but also for vibrant Irish hospitality, friendship, and kindness.

 

The author has clearly done a lot of research into rural Irish life, with all its quirks and realities. And then there's the other side of the divide, which compels you to turn the pages.

 

A highly engaging read, with an unexpected twist at the end. I'm now looking forward to reading the sequel.

 

Highly recommended.

~~~ 

 

Blurb:

Calla left her life behind, haunted by a curse she cannot control. She seeks refuge in the land of a thousand hellos, Ireland, for a fresh start—a place where no one knows who or what she is.

Colm fled from Clonmara seven long years ago, but now it’s his father’s birthday, and the clan has gathered to celebrate the ould one. Each day brings back the memories that ruined him.

Saoirse dwells in the shadows of a lost love, unwilling to move on and unable to forget. The crystals say one thing, but the cold, hard truth tells another.

Ciarán walked away from the woman he loved for the fun, for the craic. He didn’t realize that one rash decision would impact the lives of so many, least of all his own.

Four broken hearts, brought together by the thread of love.

Buy Link: HERE

 

~~~

About the Author:

I began my writing career in the pre-dawn of a winter morning while my husband snored like a train. We could call my husband the catalyst. If it weren’t for him, I would never have gone to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, feed the cat, and sit on the loveseat in front of the fire. It was there, in those moments of wondrous quiet, that I did something I had never thought possible. I opened my laptop, and while the coffee went cold, I wrote a story. My husband had no idea that these sojourns to the loveseat in front of the fire would become a daily occurrence, that writing would become an obsession, but the cat knew. She knows everything.

I write stories that make you laugh, make you cry, and make you love. Thank you, friends, for reading!

In the beginning, there was an empty page.

 

I am a writer who lives in Muskoka, Canada, with a husband who snores, a hungry cat, and an almost perfect canine––he’s an adorable little shit.

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