Review: The Faerie Games series (Dark World Universe, Books #1-5)

The Faerie Games is a five-book series by USA Best-Selling author, Michelle Madow. The series is part of the Dark World universe. The book titles consist of the following: The Faerie Games, The Faerie Pawn, The Faerie Mates, The Faerie Wand, and The Faerie Plague.

Below is a description from Goodreads:

I’m Selena Pearce, and in the past few days I’ve been kidnapped by faeries, gifted with powerful magic, and forced by the gods to compete in a twisted game to the death.

Growing up on the magical island of Avalon should be great... but I have no magic to speak of. And my parents forbid me from leaving.

So when I sneak out to Earth for a night and meet a hottie named Julian with ice blue eyes that leave me breathless, of course I say yes to a date with him. But when Julian pulls me through a magical portal, I realize he isn’t human. He’s a half-blood fae sent to bring me to his realm of the Otherworld. Because apparently, I’m a half-blood fae, too. And I’ve been chosen to compete in the annual Faerie Games—a brutal, gladiator-like competition where half-bloods fight to the death.

Too bad I can’t get my new magic under control. But with all eyes on me, I only have two options: Die in the Faerie Games, or win and earn my freedom.

Now the other players—including Julian, who still captivates me even though I should hate him—better watch out. Because I’m determined to get home.

And I’ll fight anyone blocking my path to get there.

Selena Pierce is an inquisitive teen who dreams of exploring the world outside of Avalon. She has no magical abilities and wishes she could be fight like the warriors of Avalon. Due to the circumstances surrounding her birth, her adopted parents cannot reveal her real heritage. When she finally reaches the real world, she is lured by a mysterious handsome young man to another realm beyond her imagination--the Otherworld. To her surprise, she learns that she is a half-blood fae. 

She meets her birth father and learns upon arrival that she is registered to compete in the Faerie Games, an annual event where half-blood fae contestants fight to the death. Each contestant is gifted magic from the Roman gods. It is The Hunger Games meets the Roman Coliseum. It is later revealed that her captor, Julian, is also competing in the Faerie Games. She feels a strange attraction to him, but she refuses to let down her guard. While Selena finally possesses magic, she must first survive the land of gods and legends until her friends rescue her.

So far, I have enjoyed every series in the Dark World Universe by Michelle Madow. She writes fascinating and action-packed plot twists that feature coming-of-age strong female characters. In the Faerie Games series, Madow weaves the supernatural and Roman mythology. It was a nice refresher to revisit my knowledge of the Roman gods and goddesses. Similar to Raven's transformation in The Angel Trials series, Selena also unlocks her own potential throughout the series. It was thrilling to watch her grow and use her magic. Meanwhile, the readers will uncover important details about Selena's rescue team. Overall, it is best for new readers to begin with the Dark World series. If you enjoy mythology and urban fantasy with action-adventure undertones, I recommend this series.

Stay tuned for my next review on the fourth spin-off series, The Dark World: The Dragon Twins. This series will focus on sisters who are thought to be descended from witches but discover the truth about their secret heritage.

Review: Tale of the Nine-Tailed (2020)

Tale of the Nine-Tailed (2020) is a South Korean television drama starring Lee Dong-wook, Jo Bo-ah and Kim Bum. The paranormal romance story is based on East Asian tales and legends of the nine-tailed fox (gumiho in Korean, kyuubi no kitsune in Japanese). The show contained 16 episodes.

In the past, Lee Yeon (Lee Dong-wook) is a mythical nine-tailed fox who is able to transform into human form. He abdicated his guardian position as a mountain spirit of Baekdudaega to resurrect his true love, Ah-eum (Jo Bo-ah). He followed her soul up to the Samdo River and gave her the fox bead as her mark when she is reborn again. Determined to reunite with her again, Lee Yeon enlistshis service under Taluipa, an Afterlife Judge, in exchange for Ah-eum's reincarnation. In the present day, Lee Yeon moved to the city where he is being assisted by his loyal subject and fellow gumiho, Goo Shin-joo (Hwang Hee). Under Taluipa's orders, Lee Yeon eradicates supernatural beings that threaten the mortal world. However, his real aim is to find the reincarnation of his lost first love. He has lived in his human form for hundreds of years. Throughout centuries, Lee Yeon encountered several lookalikes of Ah-eum but none had the fox bead.

Meanwhile, the mountain became unprotected as well. With its guardian gone, humans were able to set fire in the mountains. As a result, Lee Yeon's half-brother, Lee Rang (Kim Bum), exacted revenge on human beings through various killings. Lee Yeon later reunited with his half-brother, only to execute the Afterlife Judge's order to punish Lee Rang by death. Nonetheless, Lee Rang managed to escape death through the help of a mysterious man. Since then, Lee Rang developed a deep personal grudge against Lee Yeon for choosing Ah-eum over him and being the mountain's guardian. With the assistance of gumiho Ki Yoo-ri (Kim Yong-ji), Lee Rang continuously harms humans as a way of pestering his brother.

Back to the present day, Nam Ji-A (Jo Bo-ah) works as a project director (producer) of documentaries at TVC Station. She seeks out unexplained mysteries on the supernatural. Back in 1999, her parents were involved in a car accident in Yeou Gogae. Ji-A survived the accident that presumably killed her parents, though no bodies were discovered. Undaunted, Nam Ji-A believes her parents are still alive somewhere and is determined to locate them. Now, Nam Ji-A reviews CCTV footage from a wedding hall where the bride mysteriously disappeared. She sees the man who saved her as child walking out the wedding wall with a red umbrella. His name is Lee Yeon. And he is her only lead in finding her parents.

It is later revealed that Nam Ji-A is the reincarnation of Ah-eum when the fox bead appears on her. As a result, Lee Yeon vows to protect her at all costs so that she could live a longer life. Because an ancient evil is bent on repeating their tragic love story.

After the popular success of Goblin, I was delighted to learn that Lee Dong-wook (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God ~Goblin~, Hotel King) finally got his own leading role in a supernatural K-drama. He was a perfect fit for the gumiho character. Each episode kept yearning to learn what was next for Lee Yeon and Nam Ji-A as their journey to save her parents became more dangerous and suspenseful. Just when they seemed ahead of the villain, unexpected setbacks delay them and sometimes come with a price. The show's ending seemed satisfying, but audiences should embrace for an interesting twist. Furthermore, Kim Bum has come a long way from his boyish, gentlemanly charm as F4 member So Yi-jung in Boys Over Flowers days. Not only has his acting skills improved, but he also seemed to enjoy the role. Kim Bum's portrayal of the villain was excellent. Both men are on my list of Korean actors to follow! Overall, I highly recommend this K-drama. Watch the trailers below:






Below is a sample song from the original soundtrack, Moonchild Ballad by LYn.