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The Falconer Trilogy by Elizabeth May
The Falconer, The Vanishing Throne, The Fallen Kingdom
The Falconer Trilogy
Science Fiction, Steampunk, Fantasy
Chronicle Books
May 6, 2014, June 21, 2016, June 13, 2017
Kindle, Paperback, Hardcover, Audible
378
The Falconer Debutante by day. Murderess by night. Edinburgh's only hope.
Edinburgh, 1844. Beautiful Aileana Kameron only looks the part of an aristocratic young lady. In fact, she's spent the year since her mother died developing her ability to sense the presence of Sithichean, a faery race bent on slaughtering humans. She has a secret mission: to destroy the faery who murdered her mother. But when she learns she's a Falconer, the last in a line of female warriors and the sole hope of preventing a powerful faery population from massacring all of humanity, her quest for revenge gets a whole lot more complicated. The first volume of a trilogy from an exciting new voice in young adult fantasy, this electrifying thriller blends romance and action with steampunk technology and Scottish lore in a deliciously addictive read.
The Vanishing Throne
The second book in the Falconer trilogy is packed with surprises and suspense. Aileana Cameron, the Falconer, disappeared through the portal that she was trying to close forever. Now she wakes up in the fae world, trapped and tortured by the evil Lonnrach. With the help of an unexpected ally, Aileana re-enters the human world, only to find everything irrevocably changed. Edinburgh has been destroyed, and the few human survivors are living in an uneasy truce with the fae, while both worlds are in danger of disappearing altogether. Aileana holds the key to saving both worlds, but in order to do so she must awaken her latent Falconer powers. And the price of doing that might be her life. Rich with imaginative detail, action, fae lore, and romance, The Vanishing Throne is a thrilling sequel to The Falconer.
The Fallen Kingdom
The long-awaited final book in the Falconer trilogy is an imaginative tour-de-force that will thrill fans of the series. Aileana Kameron, resurrected by ancient fae magic, returns to the world she once knew with no memory of her past and with dangerous powers she struggles to control. Desperate to break the curse that pits two factions of the fae against each other in a struggle that will decide the fate of the human and fae worlds, her only hope is hidden in an ancient book guarded by the legendary Morrigan, a faery of immense power and cruelty. To save the world and the people she loves, Aileana must learn to harness her dark new powers even as they are slowly destroying her. Packed with immersive detail, action, romance, and fae lore, and publishing simultaneously in the UK, The Fallen Kingdom brings the Falconer's story to an epic and unforgettable conclusion.
Steampunk and faeries, the perfect combination!
Elizabeth May’s debut into the world of YA fiction is a smashing success. The Falconer Trilogy, from the start of book 1 to the end of book 3, is consistently an authentic and enthralling journey into a steampunk version of mid 1800s Scotland. 
Elizabeth does an amazing job of building an intricate and vivid world in each book of the series, so much so that I would find myself pondering a plethora of things long after I stopped reading for the day. For those unfamiliar, steampunk is “a style of design and fashion that combines historical elements with anachronistic technological features inspired by science fiction.” (Online dictionary) Steampunk fits perfectly with mid 1800s Scotland and provides a rich environment 
for the development of the lead character Aileana. She has to be one of my top female fantasy characters; the perfect combination of struggling human and bada** fighter, she is smart and witty and authentic. Her progression and transformation from angry mortal on a vendetta over the murder of her mother to shrewd and resilient Falconer (a line of female warriors empowered by fae to stand against evil fairies bent on the destruction of the human race) is seamless and captivating.
The supporting characters; like her best friend Derrick, a lesser fairy, and her fae mentor Kiaran MacKay, are solid and provide for great dialogue and interaction. They are each unique and bring this original, action packed story to life. The budding romance between Aileana and Kiaran compliments the plot line without overshadowing it. Because I went on and on to my daughter Erin about how great this series is she read it to and loved it. I liked her comment, “This was a great story that has romance, not a romance with a little action thrown in.” We both agree that we would give The Falconer, The Vanishing Throne, and The Fallen Kingdom each…
I can’t wait to see what Elizabeth May comes out with next. She is definitely on my list of favorite YA authors!
Tanya’s love for books has been a lifelong passion that she likes sharing with others. Reading is also the thing that relaxes her after a day of juggling the many responsibilities that come with being being wife to an amazing man, mother to four great kids spread around the world, business manager, and farm hand on their place in southwest Missouri; home to Akaushi cattle and a menagerie of pygmy goats, horses, chickens, dogs and cats.
