Published By: Orbit
Pages: 352
Released On: 25/08/2026
On her first day working in the prince’s galleries, art conservator Florrie Hyverfell discovers that the most famous portrait in the collection is not only a fake-it’s also inhabited by Vern, a fairy trapped in the forged painting.
Tracking down the stolen original is the only way for Florrie to save her job and for Vern to escape his canvas. Yet as they journey to a famed fairy museum to find the missing artwork, Florrie finds herself taking more than an art historical interest in the changeling painting’s charming inhabitant.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I had this on pre-order but had to cancel it due to money issues so I was thrilled to receive an e-arc. I own two of Sylvie’s books – A Letter to the Luminous Deep and the sequel A Letter From the Lonesome Shore – but I haven’t read them yet so this was my first taste of her work.
It’s romance, fantasy, historical, period dram – I mean, is there really anything else you need? Also it has a beautiful cover.
It’s more of a genteel romantasy rather than the “wham, bam, thank you ma’am” explicit type that have become popular recently – and both types have their place. Whilst I had no issue with the romance story in and of itself, I did wonder if it was needed, whether we could have just had a fantasy story without the romance part sort of shoehorned in.
The three main characters – Florrie, Prince Ardent, and Vern – are well written, compelling and charming. The other characters are enjoyable to read, even if they are smaller roles. Except for Florrie’s cousin Chary who I suppose is the “devil’s advocate” of the story, but it felt a little forced. Vern was my favourite character but I can’t say too much about him for fear of spoilers.
The pacing is a little slow. It does pick up at times but overall it is a bit slow. And I think that’s because it’s very light on plot. I don’t mind that generally if the characters are good (which they are) but even so I would have liked a bit more substance because at times it’s a bit too gentle and you struggle to get a firm grasp on anything. And I think a lot of it is that Sylvie has dedicated so much time for descriptions of surrounding, the characters’ walks, their inner thoughts etc. and there’s nothing wrong with that. But it does need to be balanced with stuff actually happening.
There are neurodivergence elements to this story, but they’re not just there for tick boxing, they play a key part. And generally you don’t see a whole lot of that in regency fiction (even ones that have been written recently).
The fairies in this stand out. In most fantasy books I read that include fairies or faes, they’re often seen as a negative, as the baddie, sneaky etc. whereas in this they are generally happy and friendly and supporting, which makes this stand out amongst a saturated genre.
There is a sequel coming out and whilst this wasn’t perfect, I did enjoy it and will definitely check out book two.
I really wanted to love this but I think I’m settling on “I liked it”. It’s cute and cosy and comforting – quite quick to read and you lose yourself in it very easily, but I’m not sure it’ll be hugely memorable, but I would definitely recommend it.
Books By Your Bedside 