The Return of the Key - By Alisha Nurse

    

Hey everyone! This is a new novel I was kindly asked to review based on fey lore but with a completely new and original take on these magical creatures that I loooove!

The main character is Eliza Aurelio (great name!) who feels like an outcast and has never fit in because she is mixed race *awwwwwh*. The book starts with one of her 'premonitions', a talent that have haunted the women of her family for generations (tad bit creeps), that she has repeatedly been having for a couple of weeks. Then her and her beloved grandmother are sent to England by her grandfather for their safety (LOL - the irony). Here she becomes automatic best friends with the outgoing and spirited Gwen! But Gwen has a secret. Quelle surprise! Gwen is seen as a bit of an odd fellow when everyone calls her dead mum a witch, which is not far from the truth because she was fey! *Gasp* These two become ultimately connected when Eliza is taken into the land of the Fey by use of the 'Key' which she must return because she is 'The Chosen One' *double take on Eliza*.
Naturally, she meets a completely hot fey who is her instant crush, Arden, and a good friend who is her crush's cousin, Arrae. 
I've got to say, I do love the names in this book, but mostly, I love the moral. Eliza learns to overcome her personal fears that were installed into her from a young age, one of the hardest missions to accomplish. During her time in Annwn (faeryland), she is also discriminated against because she is a human! Her character is inspiring and is narrated very well. She doesn't just come out of her shell, she obliterates it!

Talk of a Series

I believe this is not a stand-alone novel and will be part of a series as Alisha has confirmed! Whoop whoop! I absolutely cannot wait! 

'The Return of the Key' Synopsis:

'16 year old Eliza Aurelio grapples with her mixed race identity amid rising racial tensions on her little island. For their safety, Eliza’s grandfather sends her and her grandmother to a quiet town in Southwest England to stay with a relative. But this otherwise quiet town has been turned upside down by people mysteriously disappearing. Eliza eventually encounters a magical but dangerous realm accessible through a doorway in the town, and sees its connection to the abductions. She intends to put things right, only wanting to protect her family. To do this, she must return a stolen key to lock the open doorway. But Eliza has to overcome her own inner conflicts if she is to stand any chance of being successful and leaving the other realm alive.'