The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill by Rowena Miller

Source: Netgalley – Many thanks!
TL;DR: A slow, somewhat predictable story about two sisters making bad decisions. Somewhat disappointing for me.

Plot: I was not super impressed with this. Based entirely on the story and the major events this felt incredibly slow – and perhaps like it needed a bit more editing.
Characters: Both sisters felt somewhat expected as well. The sister that wanted to stay home and became too comfortable with the magic of the Fae and the sister who left and made poor decisions – mostly letting things happen to her.
Setting: I liked this the best. It felt quite accurate to the time and location.
Magic: Traditional Fae magic in a historical setting. I appreciated the work and attention to detail with the bargaining.

Thoughts:

The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill had so much potential but for me ultimately missed the mark. This one is set in the early 1900’s and follows two sisters, one who marries out of her country home into the city to a husband who turns into someone she didn’t expect. The other is managing and thriving their family farm but also quickly falling into the power and lure of Fairy Bargains – for nearly everything.

If you’re looking for a slow paced fantasy with a slow build up of dread this could be a great pick for you. It’s a slow build. We see Delphine move away from her home and quickly realize that the marriage she hoped for is not the one she expected – and knowing how that will end adds to the dread. Meanwhile Alaine is back at home and we see her spiral deeper and deeper into Fairy Bargains, leaving trinkets and requests for the Fae that reside on the hill. The path of the story seems pretty obvious based on the two actions of the sisters, and it does indeed go where you’re worried it will.

The last third of this one is where I was truly lost. I really did love the slow pace and interesting dynamic and juxtaposition between the two sister’s stories. Unfortunately after the 3/4ths mark the story became intensely predictable. A bad choice, a bad bargain and something hinted at occurs. The story goes to another location and it felt… disappointing. Not to mention the way the chapters kept both PoVs and moved between them within paragraphs caused for a jarring reading experience.

Sadly this one just didn’t quite work for me. With a letdown of an ending and predictable twist I was left unhappy. The first half did have me! But after that I was lost and unhappy with the path of the story. If you don’t mind a bit of a predictable story with a slow, early 1900s feel – this could be a real good pick for you! Otherwise maybe a skip.