Like a typical teenager, Eliana is conflicted about her life – even more so since she is half elf and half human and feels she doesn't fit in anywhere! In The Halfling; Book 1, author Melissa North portrays Eliana’s struggles to embrace her faerie heritage in the face of tremendous obstacles. Based on vague recollections of her early childhood combined with the death of her human mother when Eliana was 12, she tries to put aside the anger and resentment she feels for her elven family when she is called upon to help save the kingdom of Grandelione. Eliana’s older twin brothers have hated each other for many years, the eldest being put aside as King Designate by his father in favor of the younger twin, Caelian. Aemon’s hatred and desire for revenge are ruining the country, and the power Eliana holds within herself would sway the balance in his favor. This is torture for Eliana because of the taint that she received from her mother through her birth. This evil has shown itself throughout Eliana’s life and grows stronger the more contact she has with Aemon. Will Caelian, Fin and the other warriors manage to keep Eliana in check to save their home, or will all be lost to the evil shared between brother and sister?

Melissa North has created an amazing faerie realm with all sorts of delightful as well as horrific characters in The Halfling, Book 1. The emotional struggles are quite authentic and the depths of Eliana’s despair tears at your heart as you hope for things to work out well. Gripping action along with humor and lighthearted fun keep you engaged as the characters move through the story, doing what they need to do. The ending is the perfect cliff hanger, urging you to look for Book 2 to find out what really happens. In spite of editing oversights, The Halfling, Book 1 is certainly a must-read for any young adult fantasy fan and can also be thoroughly enjoyed by readers of all ages. Thoroughly enjoyable story with unique characters and an interesting twist to begin with.

Eliana is a Halfling, half-human, half-fae. She lives her life between the human and fae world, unsure of where she belongs. Eliana is different than most halflings, though. She is stronger, and something very dark dwells inside her. Her fae brothers, Aemon and Caelian, hunt her, one seeking her help, the other seeking her power. The fae world, Grandelione, is in danger. The evil Thunderbirds are wreaking havoc. After losing her memory and being transported to the fae world, Eliana will discover more than she ever knew about her past, her family, and herself. She finds love with a handsome spriggan and friendship with her brother whom she once hated. Ultimately, Eliana will, against all odds, rise up to the challenge to face both the evil inside herself and Grandelione.

The Halfling by Melissa H. North is a fast-paced, young adult, fantasy novel. She explores the deceptive, yet beautiful land of fae while telling the fascinating story of Eliana. The Halfling has a wide range of entertaining characters: fae, spriggans, trolls, and more. Melissa H. North gets your blood pumping and your heart beating with this thrilling tale. Occasionally, I felt disconnected from the main character throughout the novel. Perhaps this is because her life was so strangely erratic and she didn't truly know herself. Overall, The Halfling was greatly enjoyable, and not once did the story stop moving. It remained captivating the entire time. Melissa H. North put forth the effort and creativity to craft an intriguing plot and an expertly written novel. It truly was a great read.

The Halfling by Melissa H. North is the first book in a series, conflict-driven and featuring exciting characters. Eliana is a Halfling — an offspring of a human and a fairy — and she doesn’t have an extraordinary life. She struggles with family issues, including deceit, abandonment, and more. But family problems aren’t what threaten her existence; it is the darkness with which her mother and half-brother have been cursed. Now, she feels the stirrings of the darkness within her, and while the magical world of Grandelione is threatened by a sinister and powerful darkness, Eliana must choose the path to walk. Will she allow herself to be absorbed by the darkness or will she choose to master her magic and use it to fight to save her family and her world?

Melissa H. North has crafted a coming-of-age story that is powerful from the point of view of the conflict. The reader is immediately transported to a magical world where nothing is as it seems, a world inhabited by wonderful and magical creatures. Combining mythology with great storytelling skills, the author crafts characters that are interesting and that play powerful roles in the story. I fell in love with the protagonist and it was interesting to watch her deal with family issues and learn to explore her gifts and her strength. Family is one of the well-developed themes in the story. The conflict grows through each page and the reader is absorbed, reading feverishly and eagerly looking for its denouement. The Halfling has great characters, a mesmerizing plot, and a fantastic setting.

The Fae world is one filled with magic and mystery. It’s a world that Eliana has not had the opportunity to explore in a long time, however, until she is suddenly thrust into it in a battle over her powers. The people of the Fae world have known Eliana for a long time, especially her long lost brothers. But Caelin and Aemon have very different plans for her and she just might be trapped forever if she doesn’t choose the right path in The Halfling by Melissa H. North. There’s no telling just what could happen to her and the Fae world.

This is definitely a story of growth and power. But there's also plenty of action and love. It’s not just about love in a romantic sense, however, but in a familial sense. The love that Eliana and her brothers have for each other is a strong part of this and it definitely highlights the tensions and the struggles of siblings. The characters are all intriguing and each one you’re introduced to is unique and interesting in a new way. It’s a fun story and it’s one that I’ll be following to see what happens next. After all, you can’t end on a cliffhanger and then leave everything, right? The Halfling by Melissa H. North is the story of Eliana finding out who she truly is, but it’s also more than that. It’s a story of love, forgiveness, and a whole lot more.

My first impression of this was WOW!! The use of mythology and fae was marvellous! I cannot stress this point, WOW just WOW! Aimed at teens, but I can say you could pick it up and lose yourself in this fast paced, action packed book.

A little about what is a Halfling. In Melissa North’s book, a halfling is a person born of a fae (fairy) and human. The main character is a Halfling, and she is cool. Someone to look up to, as she needs no man to save her! She’ll save the men, and she does a few times (oh, spoiler).

Even if it is targeted for young’uns, the emotional roller-coaster is there. It asked some serious questions, which makes you as the reader think and wonder why certain things happen. Unless you read the book in full, you will never know!

I would wholeheartedly ‘demand’ that you should buy this book. The pace, the story, characters, lore, magic, and even dragons are all excellent. A must read or a perfect present for someone who loves fantasy!