Avalon Tower: 1 (Fey Spy Academy) Paperback – 15 Mar. 2024

So many fantasy genre books fail to work as great books - simply great fiction - but CN Crawford writes great fiction - and thankfully, it’s in the fantasy arena. Compelling, crisp and beautifully paced. I knew it was part one of a series but the cliffhanger (“wait…WHAT???”) still took me by surprise. Immediately returning to Amazon to buy the next book. Yippee. There’s another one to read! (And I also loved her Hallowed Games books).

Avalon Tower is a captivating journey into a world of espionage, where every corner holds a secret and every shadow hides a spy. The story blends high-stakes intrigue with a complex web of covert missions, keeping readers on edge from start to finish. With a protagonist pulled into a high-tech world of deception and betrayal, the narrative weaves mystery into every chapter, creating an atmosphere thick with tension. Hidden agendas, encrypted messages, and double-crossing agents make Avalon Tower a pulse-pounding read that leaves you questioning who can be trusted. If you're a fan of spy thrillers and mind-bending twists, this book is an unmissable ride.

Loved the Camelot take, a different set of characters to the norm and fascinating take on it, page turning and enthralling, jumping in to book 2!

This was a take on the Camelot legend when Arthur and his Knights of the round table ruled. It's set in modern day Britain but the fey have taken over parts of France where bookseller Nia has saved up for a vacation. She unwittingly saves some Demi-Fey who the high fey are hunting and succeeds in getting them on a ship run by Raphael, who she had met and had a crush on years earlier. This is an enemies to lovers story with hidden magic and a fey spy academy used to train humans and demi-fey to overcome the Fey who are trying to take over. Enjoyed it.

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed the world building, mix of new world and old world blending, the magic system, the action, intrigue, romance and Nia’s development. Unput downable. Straight onto the next book.

I enjoyed this modern instalment of a classic tale. The magic system is unique, the FMC comes into her own and I’m keen to see what happens next!

I could not out this book down, I loved the plot, the magic system, the spice, it was a good read, can't wait to get into the next one.

This book is romantasy at its FINEST!!!! Trust me when I say you NEED this book in your life IMMEDIATELY!!One minute Nia is on holiday in France and the next she is thrust into a world of fae and danger... the Fae infiltrated the world 15 years ago, dividing France. Since then the world has become infinitely more dangerous and tensions run high. No one crosses the barrier between the fae world without risking the wrath of the fae king. Risking it all to fight back are the spies of Avalon Tower. Unbeknownst to her, Nia is key to this…We all (hopefully!!) know how much of a history geek I am, so to find an amazing book with Arthurian vibes is my literal dream!! I adore medieval history and CN Crawford combines the old with the new perfectly. I love that we have elements of today’s culture, with the mystique of the legends and magic of the age of Arthur and Merlin. Then add in Hunger Games vibes, forbidden love, quests AND a masked ball???? Fantasy heaven JUST HEAVEN!!!!! I have always loved CN Crawford’s writing style and this is just perfection!!I love how Nia, despite totally being on the back foot in this new world, totally forges ahead, tries to learn everything she can AND makes herself the best found family!! I loved the fact that she just completely goes for it, despite not being the strongest but she IS cunning, smart and oh so witty!!Raphael, oh my, this man… I absolutely love him so freaking much!! The ultimate grumpy mentor, who is extremely well versed in magic and the fae world but is COMPLETELY off limits???? Plus the Tension (totally needs a capital t…) is OFF THE CHARTS!! This is a fantastic forbidden romance and I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT!!!!I am rabidly awaiting book 2…