(Beyond the Faerie Rath Book 1)
By Hanna Park
My Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I must admit, I have always been drawn to Irish folklore and the darker side of faerie lore, so when I began The Scald Crow, I was immediately intrigued—and it certainly did not disappoint. From the very first pages, I felt completely immersed in rural Ireland, in the quiet weight of grief, family, and tradition. The atmosphere is so vivid that it feels as though you are standing in the room during the wake, sharing in the heaviness of loss alongside the O’Donnell family. It is one of those books that is incredibly difficult to put down, and in fact, I read it in one sitting.
The world-building in this novel is particularly striking. The faerie realm is not romanticised or softened; instead, it is presented as something ancient, dangerous, and deeply unsettling. I really appreciated how the author balanced the familiar human world with this darker, hidden one, allowing the tension between the two to build naturally. It never feels forced—rather, it unfolds in a way that feels inevitable and quietly consuming.
Colm and Calla are at the heart of the story, and their relationship is one of the most compelling aspects of the book. There is a strong sense that they are drawn together by something beyond their control, and while there is a sensual, magnetic pull between them, it is never straightforward or entirely safe. Their connection feels layered, intense, and at times unsettling, which only adds to the depth of the story.
What I appreciated most is how the novel explores light and darkness, not as opposites, but as forces that exist alongside one another. The human world feels grounded yet fragile, while the faerie realm is dangerous but strangely compelling. This balance gives the story a depth that lingers, making you question where the true boundaries lie.
The writing is rich and evocative without being overwhelming, and it captures both the emotional depth of grief and the eerie pull of the unknown beautifully. If I had one small critique, it would be that at times the atmosphere is so heavy and immersive that it slightly slows the pacing—but for me, this also added to the overall tone and experience of the book.
I greatly enjoyed reading The Scald Crow and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys romantasy with a darker, more grounded edge.
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Hanna Park
`I began my writing career in the pre-dawn of a winter morning while my husband snored like a train. We could call my husband the catalyst. If it weren’t for him, I would never have gone to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, feed the cat, and sit on the loveseat in front of the fire. It was there, in those moments of wondrous quiet, that I did something I had never thought possible. I opened my laptop, and while the coffee went cold, I wrote a story. My husband had no idea that these sojourns to the loveseat in front of the fire would become a daily occurrence, that writing would become an obsession, but the cat knew. She knows everything.
I write stories that make you laugh, make you cry, and make you love. Thank you, friends, for reading!
In the beginning, there was an empty page.
I am a writer who lives in Muskoka, Canada, with a husband who snores, a hungry cat, and an almost perfect canine––he’s an adorable little shit.
