urgh. Didn't really work although the basic urban fantasy elf-portal trope was ok. The icky older man young girl 'romance' was poor. Love at first sight needs careful handling and this wasn't.

Dark elf assassin meets schoolgirl who turns out to be his Chosen and so he has to protect her from all the other elves fighting over human resources.

meh. ( )

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down. :) ( )

Elfin (The Elfin #1) by Quinn Loftis

Eighteen-year-old Cassie Tate is a good-hearted innocent human. So when the dark elf assassin Triktapic, discovers that she is his mate, he feels unworthy of her. Not willing to give up the gift of his mate after waiting over thousands of years, he pursues her, agreeable to change to keep her. Unfortunately, the Dark Court is not on board with the relationship and will stop at nothing to destroy it.

I love Quinn Loftis’ Grey Wolves Series and was excited that she came out with a new series about Fae. My next favorite topic after shape shifters and hockey: okay I know it’s a weird combo.

Getting back to Elfin, I love this book! I was captivated from beginning to end. The plot is original and fascinating. There is non-stop action that keeps you guessing to what will happen next.

The characters are well developed. I definitely had many emotional feelings toward the characters. Cassie is young and naive. She is very likeable. My heart broke for what she has to experience. Triktapic is the hot bad boy you want to root for. He is not perfect and has made some awful choices. Finding Cassie makes him want to become a better person/Fae. As a reader, I wanted him to succeed. As for the Dark King, I hate him. He is just pure evil.

The book ends in a cliffhanger making you anticipate book 2, Rapture. If you enjoy young adult Fae fantasies, this book is definitely for you.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I would like to thank both NetGalley and Indie Inked for granting me the chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way influences this review.

Before tonight Cassie Tate’s biggest concerns were whether she could pass Algebra and how she was going to keep Elora, her best friend, from dressing her in a skimpy fairy costume for Halloween. Her feet were firmly planted in suburban reality and she had no reason to believe her life would be anything but that of a typical teenager. That is until tonight, when Cassie saw something that no human was ever supposed to see; in the blink of an eye she was thrown into the world of the Light and Dark Elves.

He comes from a realm where light and dark have fought for millennia. He is of a race known to humans only in myths and legends. The darkness that lives inside him is a part of both who and what he is and it makes him the most gifted spy and assassin in the history of his time. His life is not his own; he lives in the service of the Dark Elf King. He slays who he must, has mercy on no one, is relentless in his hunt, and never tires of seeing his prey fall. He is Triktapic, assassin, spy, most feared of the Dark Elves.

Now, in the midst of his King’s complicated plans to expand the Dark Elves’ holdings into the mortal realm, for the first time, Trik finds his loyalties divided. For no Elf, Dark or Light, can turn away from their Chosen.

Unbeknownst to the mortal realm, the battle between Light and Dark is being brought to their doorstep. The only one who can keep it at bay holds darkness in his heart like a lover, and the one who can sway that heart must decide if she can look beyond his black past, beyond his evil nature and see the man he is destined to be.

The question must be asked, does love really cover a multitude of sins? Can true love actually conquer all or will his darkness consume those around him until all that stands is an assassin with the blood of the mortal realm on his hands?

This is an entertaining story, populated with some very enjoyable characters. While Cassie may be the lead, or heroine, of this story, I found myself eagerly anticipating the scenes containing her best friend Elora. Cassie is everything you'd expect in a fairytale-like story, for she is sunny, optimistic, and perpetually cheerful, just oozing goodness and purity. This doesn't make her bad as much as a stereotype personified.

Elora on the other hand is full of piss and vinegar, sarcasm drips off of her, and she is chock full of snarky comments. She calls her own mother by her first name because she doesn't believe in labels of any sort. She too is something of a stereotype of the rebellious, goth teen, but not so much that she becomes a caricature. Instead she is a breath of fresh air in the role of loyal best friend. She delights in dressing as she desires & pulls off her personal version of the goth look with panache, something of a miracle given her tiny frame. Where Cassie is diplomatic and polite Elora calls 'em like she sees 'em, and her comments are almost never even in sight, let alone spitting distance, of polite.

Any good fairy tale needs a hero, the knight in shining armor to ride in and rescue the damsel in distress, to save her in the nick of time from the clutches of the evil-doer threatening peace and happiness everywhere. And we can't forget his sidekicks or partners in crime. We have Trik, the greatest assassin the race of Elves has ever known. Although recently he has become dissatisfied and restless, something that has not escaped the attention of Lorsan, the Dark King, or his lovely partner, the Dark Queen Ilyrana. The playing field also contains all those of the Dark Court. Since there is a Dark King & Queen it only makes sense that there be a Light King & Queen, (who shall remain unnamed to prevent giving anything away) as well as all the Light Elves of their court.

Before all is said and done a hero will emerge. But will he be in time to save the damsel in distress and foil the master plot of the Dark King & Court? Although much of what happens in the story follows a traditional plot, that does not diminish the story in any way. And that is thanks to Ms. Loftis' skill crafting her characters and letting them lead the story, rather than being led by the story. Even if you expect the unexpected Ms. Loftis will more than likely manage to surprise you. Nor does it hurt that she left plenty of unexplained and unexplored lines to tug on for the sequel. ( )

Originally reviewed at Witchmag's Boekenplank

This book took off on a great start with some very memorable quotes and one very lovable and brutally honest side kick, aka best friend, aka Elora. I’m looking forward to seeing her again in the future. Now back to the story. As I said it rocked. With some puzzles here and there, people who are difficult to read. Are they the good or the bad guys? The story made me guess till the end. And I loved that part of it ^^

Our strong heroine was also awesome, although at times she was too gullible. Cassie is one in a million and totally not scared when facing a Dark Elvin Assassin. True, it helps that she is his Chosen, but still, I’d still think twice about knocking some sense in him ^^ As fierce as she can be when facing Trik, I’d wish she could listen to her instincts more. It would have saved Cassie from a number of tough and dangerous situations. Oh well, who am I to say stuff like this? Apparently she hasn’t read enough YA books to conclude that it’s better to listen to your instinct. Besides these little mishaps, she was a joy to read about. She’s got great spirit and just the right amount of humor. And one liners. Ass squared? She calls the most lethal assassin in the world ass squared? That’s just brilliant!!!

Oh and let’s not forget our quiver boy (I loved Elora for that one, it’s too awesome for words ^^), aka Trik. He too has his problems with making the right decisions at the right time. This mostly happens because he tries to protect Cassie. And what’s wrong with that? I admit, I might be a bit biased, too, but he’s such a tormented soul! So it’s understandable I was always quick to forgive, isn’t it? Especially after the truth of his past was revealed. He had to endure so much… And it explains his caveman behavior when Cassie is concerned ^^

As I said, the story was a blast, too. With hints that were dropped here and there. A lot of romance and some angst. I was enjoying myself immensely. If only the ending was as enjoyable. Instead I was utterly confused and had a hard time understanding what was going on. And it also didn’t feel like it was the ending, there was no closure (for the moment). There were also things happening that were incomprehensible. It was soo not coherent with the rest of the story and therefore the decisions made were too weird and incredible.

Conclusion

3 HEARTS. An amusing story with a good plot and suspense, but this gets all thrown out the window with the ending. I still can’t understand what exactly happened there and where the story that I liked went. It’s got two amusing main characters, who don’t always make the right moves, but have amazing one liners. It has an awesome sidekick too, who I love to see again. I Can’t wait which quote’s she comes up with then ^^ ( )