This story takes place in a small town in Ireland where the faerie and human lands run parallel, but humans don’t know they exist. Insert the finnian warriors/clans who help to make sure that is how it stays. Throughout the story we get to follow two clans as they compete against one another for a spot in the kings immortal army. All while also trying to solve the FMC mothers murder, who she hasn’t spoken to in 7 years. I love books that have Irish lore and mythology as its theme. So, I was super excited when Claire Wright invited me to be part of her street team for her debut novel, Realm of Lore and Lies. And, let me tell you, it was so good. Thank you for having me on the team and for the gifted e-arc, Claire! for this book for sure! Closer to a 5 than a 4. Before going over the book, I would like to disclose that I did receive this book as an eARC. However, this review will be completely honest. Slow burn romance subplot - a sprinkle of romance is introduced in book 1. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. We have two more books to go!

The characters in this one were also really captivating. I loved Tiernan, Maebh and Set the most. One of my improvements would be that I did find the main character, Ash, a bit bland to start with. I enjoyed her POV’s in the second half of the book a lot more when she started standing her ground and finding her strength. Perhaps this was due to me finding my feet in the story at the beginning, but I always felt myself more drawn to the side characters. All the side characters were really unique and had compelling stories of their own, and great dynamics with the each other. Ireland native Aisling never imagined she'd be alone, living a double life. But when your family shares the ability to see through fae glamour, keeping secrets isn't something you do for fun. You do it to stay alive.Based on Irish Mythology, Realm of Lore and Lies follows protagonist Aisling Breen, struggling between the normal life she is attempting to lead, and the complicated one she has left behind. Told through multi-person-pov, all four main character’s perspectives kept me engaged and gripped, and I loved weaving together the information each character was gaining and how it would come to help the others. The characters felt so real to me: they were so well-developed with their motivations, flaws, insecurities and personalities all clear and believable. You truly root for Aisling, Meabh, Setanta and Tiernan. There are romantic subplots in this story that I think are appropriate for the YA genre! I’m interested to see what directions things go in as the plot continues. The world the author created is incredible! WHAT A DEBUT BOOK! 💛 This book is more focused on Fantasy, with a romance sub genre. However, the focus is not on the romance and trust me, you don't even mind that. The relationships between the characters are still developed beautifully and the friendships formed!! I feel like I love the friendship and found family aspects more or equally to the romantic relationships between the characters.

A murder leaves Aisling motherless, thrusting her into the position of matriarch in a world she thought she'd never return to. Teaming up with an unlikely band of allies for a competition steeped in peril, she can't resist the distraction warrior Setanta offers. Brooding, gorgeous and impossibly strong, he gives her a chance to be something she never could before-herself. Setanta, what can I say? I have met my new book husband for sure. A powerful man, who exudes "I can break you apart with one pinkie" energy, and yet he is so open with his emotions?? He is sweet and thoughtful and just such a cinnamon roll. Now don't take that to mean he is perfect, because while we all may think so, this man has such a dark story. HE deserves all the love in the world. Finally, let’s talk about that final part of the book, it was so good, I love it, the way everything tided up together to make the big revelation of the real evil one was epic. Now I'm patiently waiting for book two on this series because I need to read what will happen to these guys in the trials they’ll have to face in the future.

A realm of Lore and Lies breathes life into Irish Folklore. We follow the points of view of four different characters whose lives are tangled together in mystery and loss. The first 40% of this book introduces us to each of the four protagonists and we are shown the world of the travelling Fianna and what it means to live as one. While I thought the beginning was a little slow getting to know all the characters, the writing is excellent and it was really enjoyable and easy to read. The murder mystery plot was excellent and we get politics, adventure, and plot twists along the way. Realm of Lore and Lies is phenomenal and I’d definitely recommend it!

I have recently fell in love with romance books that have murder mystery, and now I found a fantasy book with murder mystery? Safe to say I was hooked! Maebh is my favorite character, which is saying something because I love all the characters. She is the one I resonated with the most. She wears her mask (she doesn’t really care, nothing bothers her, etc.) to protect who she really is. Just below the surface is a woman who wants to live fiercely and love deeply. This quest that the King demands these characters (Aisling, Maebh, Setanta, and Tiernan) undertake starts to break down some of those walls she’s built. I really want a happy ending for her! If I were to put this review in a nutshell, it would go as follows: I simply loved this book and found it so exciting, I was practically bouncing in my seat. I cannot wait for the second one! Talking about the characters I can’t talk about one of them, letting the others behind so, what can I say without spoiling you? That I loved them and I really need them happy and living their best life. Another thing I can say is #leaveMaebhbehappy please, this girl has been through a lot; also I can say that I loved that Ash fangirled with ancient symbols, and I’ve never been so identified with a character, in terms of their love for the past, like I was with Ash. And of course, I can’t forget that Tiernan is so smart, I love how clever he is, and also how cute Setanta is, I mean he could kill me, but I think he is like a big teddy bear ready to kill. I love that the story is told from multiple POVs. Early on I was interested in each of the characters, and by the end I was completely invested.If you enjoy fast-paced fantasy novels featuring new adult characters trying to find their way in the world than Realm of Lore and Lies by Claire Wright may be the book you have been waiting for. As the story develops, we learn more about each character from their points of view. Normally I’m not a huge fan of more than two POVs, but I think this story really worked. I enjoyed how interconnected their lives were, and I can guarantee that we haven’t even seen the extent of that interconnectedness yet. The world building was so realistic and well written, I feel like I could travel to the faerie realm if I were in Ireland. And the Irish mythology was magical! I loved the clan politics, it’s so different than anything I’ve read before. Irish Mythology - think mischievous and sometimes scary fae. Quirky lore and an enchanting culture. In a land that harbours two realms, magical creatures and dangerous games are a way of life and death for the travelling Fianna clans. It is an honour to visit Tír na nÓg, even if the price is pretending Fair Ones don't hunt humans for sport.