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⭐⭐⭐☆ 3.5/5
I went into the A Kiss from the Fae audiobook expecting a spicy little fae romance and one grumpy Scottish sea-eyed king.
That's exactly what I got, and also a fair amount of "wait, didn't we already do this bargain in book one?"
It's fun. It's warm. It leans hard on tropes you've probably met before if you read any romantasy at all.
Listen to it if you want a cozy, low-stakes fae romance with Scottish folklore and a brooding king who won't quit.
Skip it if you need your fantasy plot to feel fresh, or you haven't read book one yet.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | A Kiss from the Fae |
| Author | Kennedy Kerr |
| Narrator(s) (audiobook) | Fia Rose |
| Series | Mistress of Magic, Book 2 (follows A Dance with the Fae) |
| Genre | Fantasy Romance |
| Subgenre | Fae romantasy, slow-burn, spicy, Scottish folklore |
| Audiobook length | 10 hours 30 minutes |
| First published | 2025 (previously published as Queen of Sea and Stars, this edition revised) |
| Publisher | Saga Egmont (audiobook) |
Quick refresher if you skipped book one: Faye Morgan is a witch who found out she's half-fae, got tangled up with fae king Finn Beatha, and barely made it back out of his realm in one piece.
This one picks up with the fallout.
Faye made a binding bargain with Finn's sister to get free, and that bargain is not done collecting.
Meanwhile Finn is not exactly respecting the whole "we broke up" thing.
He shows up in her dreams. Tattoos and all.
Between the debt she owes, the pull she can't shake, and a prophecy that apparently still needs her involved, Faye ends up back in fae territory whether she wants to be or not.
It's the second book in a duology-shaped setup, so don't expect this to work as a true standalone. Read A Dance with the Fae first or you'll be lost on who owes who what.
Faye is the "in over her head but too stubborn to admit it" heroine. Standard for the genre, but she's got some bite to her, which helps.
Finn is your classic morally-grey fae king. Broody. Possessive. Shows up uninvited in your dreams and somehow that's romantic instead of a restraining-order situation.
I say that a little jokingly, but it does track with what this book is going for. The tension between them isn't built on them liking each other calmly. It's built on the fact that they can't stay away even when staying away is clearly the smarter move.
If you liked the will-they-shouldn't-they of book one, this delivers more of it. The bargain hanging over Faye's head gives their scenes together an edge, since every moment they spend close is also a moment where the reader is thinking "this is going to cost her something."
The Scottish folklore backdrop is genuinely the best part. Fae stories set in generic Fantasyland are everywhere right now. Grounding it in Scottish witch tradition, family grimoires, coven dynamics, gives it a texture a lot of fae romance doesn't bother with.
Now the honest part.
This is not a book that reinvents the fae-romance formula. If you've read a handful of these already, the beats will feel familiar: the bargain that can't be broken, the king who won't take no for an answer, the prophecy nobody explains properly until it's convenient. None of that is a dealbreaker, but it does mean the plot leans on momentum and chemistry rather than surprise.
It also really wants you to have read book one. There's not a lot of hand-holding for new readers, which is fine as a sequel choice but worth knowing going in.
Fia Rose narrates, and she also read the first book in the series, so there's continuity there, which matters more than people expect in a duology. You're not adjusting to a new voice for Finn halfway through the story.
At 10 hours 30 minutes, it's a manageable listen. Not a huge commitment, easy to get through over a few days of commuting or chores.
Romantasy audiobooks live or die on how the tension scenes land, the quiet-charged moments between leads matter as much as the big confrontations, and pacing that keeps those scenes from dragging tends to make or break the listen. I'd go in expecting a narration style suited to the genre's mood: moody, a little breathless where it needs to be, without tipping into melodrama.
Pros
— Strong Faye/Finn chemistry, built on tension rather than ease
— Scottish folklore setting gives it real atmosphere
— Same narrator as book one, so no jarring voice switch
— Manageable 10 hours 30 minutes runtime
Cons
— Leans on familiar romantasy tropes rather than surprising you
— Not a true standalone, book one is required reading
— Plot beats feel predictable if you've read a lot of fae romance already
Good fit if you:
— Already read or listened to A Dance with the Fae
— Like your fae kings brooding, tattooed, and a little too intense
— Want Scottish folklore mixed into your romantasy instead of generic fantasy trappings
— Don't mind familiar tropes as long as the chemistry is doing its job
Not a good fit if you:
— Haven't read book one (you'll be missing context)
— Want a fae romance that subverts the genre rather than leans into it
— Prefer plot-driven fantasy over relationship-driven fantasy
The A Kiss from the Fae audiobook knows exactly what kind of story it is, and it doesn't apologize for it.
It's not going to convert someone who's tired of fae romance tropes. But if you're already a fan of the genre, and especially if you enjoyed book one, this is a solid continuation with a setting that still feels a little different thanks to the Scottish folklore angle.
It's a comfortable 3.5 star listen for me. Enjoyable, well-paced enough for audio, but not one I'd call essential.
If you want to try it before committing, it's worth checking whether your usual audiobook platform has an introductory credit or trial available.
How can I listen to A Kiss from the Fae audiobook free?
You may be able to listen through a free trial or introductory audiobook credit, depending on the platform and your location. It's also worth checking your local library through apps such as Libby or Hoopla before paying.
Do I need to read A Dance with the Fae first?
Yes, strongly recommended. This is a direct continuation, and the bargain and relationship history from book one carry straight into this story.
Who narrates the A Kiss from the Fae audiobook?
Fia Rose narrates this audiobook.
How long is the A Kiss from the Fae audiobook?
It runs 10 hours 30 minutes.
Is A Kiss from the Fae a standalone or part of a series?
It's book two in the Mistress of Magic series, following A Dance with the Fae.
