Reflection Pond by Kacey Vanderkarr
Publication Date: March 30th, 2014
Publisher: Urban Fey Press
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Status: First Installment
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Book Summary (Goodreads):

Callie knows a lot more about pain than she does about family. She’s never belonged, at least, not until she falls through a portal into her true home. The beautiful faerie city of Eirensae doesn’t come free. Callie must find her amulet and bind herself to the city, and most importantly, avoid the Fallen fae who seek her life. Seems like a small price to pay for the family she’s always wanted.

Then she meets cynical and gorgeous Rowan, who reads the darkness of her past in her eyes. He becomes Callie’s part-time protector and full-time pain in the ass. He has secrets of his own for Callie to unravel. What they don’t know is that the future of Eirensae lies with them, and the once peaceful city is about to become a battleground for power.

My Review:

I really enjoyed reading the Reflection Pond by Kacey Vanderkarr. I honestly wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did. From the beginning the story is action packed and filled with complex, lovable characters. The novel is told from the points of view of Callie and Rowan. Callie has a troubling past that keeps her from getting too close to people. And Rowan has a dark soul and rarely shows others the goodness that’s in him. The two cross paths right from the start and instantly are not fond of each other. As their tales unravel, Callie sees more to Rowan than the sarcasm and rudeness, and Rowan sees a beauty in Callie that he can’t seem to push away.

Most of the story takes place in Eirensae,  one of the Faery cities that welcomes their children home and has them search for their amulets so that they can bind themselves to their city. Most of the children were sent into the human world as infants in order to protect them from the Fallen and the Immortals, dark creatures that search for fae children in order to make themselves Immortal and to help others become Immortal as well. Each of the fae children come back to their home city when it’s time for them to find their amulets. Once they are bound to the city they are no longer a target for these darker fae. In Eirensae, a place thought to be safe, Callie is hunted by the Fallen. Rowan deems himself as her protector and does everything he can to keep Callie safe. In the mean time Callie learns about her powers and practices with her new friend Ash despite the dangers around her. Callie is determined to control her magic and keep her new family and home safe. But is it enough?

My favorite character of this novel is Rowan. I love reading from his point of view because he is honestly snarky at times, and it’s just great! There is a bit of a love triangle in this book, but the author does a fabulous job with it. There is so much to Rowan’s character and it was neat to see the side of Rowan that he normally doesn’t let anyone see. I have to be honest that Callie kind of drove me crazy at the beginning of the story. She comes off as a little whinny, but then again she did just magically fall through a portal into the fae realm. Once Callie moves on from her disbelief that something like this could happen to her, her character blossoms into a strong, and determined soul that finally, in all her years of loneliness from being an orphan and in the foster system, has found a family and people to love and hold dear. Callie becomes a great female lead, filled with hope and light and it’s a wonderful balance with Rowan’s dark, noble character. The story is a must read!

What I didn’t like about the book:

Overall I thought this book was fantastic, the only thing I didn’t like about it was how quickly the author went from the human world to the fae world. I would have loved, even if it was just one chapter, a peak into Callie’s life in the human world. I also thought the way Callie enters the fae realm was a little strange. To me it didn’t make sense how she fell into the pond because the circumstance that made her fall into the pond were not realistic. But other than that, it’s a fast paced and truly gripping story that you can’t put down.

What I liked about the book:

I loved the plot, I loved the characters, and I loved how original the story was. I can’t wait to read the sequel, the Poison Tree.

About the Author (Goodreads):

More on Reflection Pond by The Page Unbound:

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Be sure to check out our Friend or Foe post on Rowan and our original inspired song entitled Through the Reflection Pond.