Victoria Lancet has mastered the gothic fantasy genre. She grew up in a mafia-based town in Eastern Europe, with a lot of it heavily impacting her story. As her Instagram bio says, she writes many morally grey stories, especially morally grey romances. Who doesn’t need a morally grey lover in their life? Someone who is only good to them? Her experiences from her youth have given her the perfect ideas to create this alluring, gothic, historical, and romantic novel.
Her standalone novel, Fairydale, was released, technically speaking, back in 2022; however, the new edition coming out has bonus scenes that we will get into and a way prettier cover. With three timelines perfectly intertwining, two male interests, magic, and plot twists, this story will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The bonus scenes also make you want to learn more about the story. Fairydale is a creative story unlike any I’ve read. Let’s get into Lancet’s new edition, published August 19, 2025!
Trigger Warning: Fairydale contains taboo and graphic sexual situations, suicide, gore/violence, drug use, and mentions of rape. Please practice self-care and read the book’s preface before continuing the novel.
Synopsis
It is 1955 in Massachusetts, and Darcy O’Sullivan is a teacher at a boarding school, but she has always been missing something. She has always just been content with her life. Suddenly, the father she never knew had died, and left her a lot of stuff in her will, but there are conditions. She has to move to this small town on the coast of Massachusetts, called Fairydale.
The people are odd, though, and something about this town doesn’t feel right, and she feels like she is constantly being followed. Magic and ghosts lurk at every corner, but no one else seems to care that way. The town is hiding something from her; she has never felt crazier.
Then there is Caleb Hale, the town’s troublemaker. A dangerous man that she can’t help but fall for, and while he captures her attention during the day, the nights are different. Her dreams take her to other timelines, where a sweet and sexy man holds her heart, Amon D’Artan. But how can she love someone from centuries before and Caleb simultaneously? Beyond the love problems, this town is magically odd. What is happening here, and what does it do with her?
Smooth and Important Transitions Between Timelines
“The dream… It felt so real. From the clothing, to the architecture, and people’s speech—my speech.”
Veronica Lancet, Fairydale
One of the main aspects of this story is that it constantly switches between three timelines. 1955, 1700s, and millions of years before. While that may seem like a lot for a standalone novel, the way it was integrated into the series was smooth and clear-cut. Darcy continuously has these weird dreams, and the way the stories are told makes the transitions easy to comprehend and know what is happening. No plot holes or missing pieces develop due to the constant switching, which can be hard to avoid, but Lancet mastered it in Fairydale. The switching timelines made the story much more addictive to read, because you must know if it all intertwines.
However, the different timelines felt like a lot and were often placed when you weren’t ready to switch back. Though that is clearly on purpose, it felt like being pushed around by a book. You also don’t get everything about the plot unless you read each timeline and need every detail. It is important to note that the book’s preface does warn you about it, though.
The Darkness of Found Family
“‘We Hales are a tight-knit bunch, and we always stick up for one another.’”
Veronica Lancet, Fairydale
Family is another significant aspect of Fairydale, as Darcy has no one else. Early on, it is established that she is on her own, minus the kids she teaches. However, when she arrives in Fairydale, the outcast but most influential family quickly takes her in. The Hales are a large family, one of whom is constantly there when Darcy sees something she really shouldn’t. Found family is always a happy trope that people often look for, but sometimes, found family can be manipulative. The way the trope progresses in the story makes you constantly second-guess whether the Hales have something more going on, and what their agenda is.
Other families are found within the different timelines that add to its darkness. Real families of the female main characters have been evil, full of secrets, and destructive, but the found families they all find seem like that is going to be their haven. Found family is usually reassuring and calming, making the reader know their character is safe, but darkness is hidden within each member. It made it hard to trust any of the characters, which, for some readers, can make a book more complicated to read when it seems like everyone is hiding something.
Why Choose Romance
“‘How could I want anyone else when I am only because you are? I exist for you just as I exist because of you.’”
Veronica Lancet, Fairydale
As much as I love a why-choose romance, it is the 1950s in this story, and that was not something that happened often, but that didn’t stop Darcy from falling for two different guys. Romance in the 50s was significantly different; there were more patriarchal roles, and innocence was valued more and represented well. We can see what Darcy values in a relationship heavily throughout the story, but the why-choose also evolves her character. However, with that comes some struggles. Darcy’s character felt too naive at times, and though she has a strong arc, it was frustrating to see her act this way in the beginning. Darcy leaned a little too much into her role.
The male love interests, though, are to die for. Amon is charming, a bad-to-everyone-but-you type of guy. Caleb is dangerous, a man who has just returned from the war and is ostracized by the town, but he has an odd secret. Every feeling Darcy feels, the reader feels tenfold. Not only does Darcy fall in love with these two handsome men, but you will too. The romance is intense and steamy, with every part feeling authentic and staying true to the era’s romance, making it historically accurate, despite its wickedness.
New Bonus Content in This Re-Publish
“‘Did you miss me?’ He asks, a crooked smile playing on his lips.”
Veronica Lancet, Fairydale
There will be no spoilers, so don’t worry here. I believe the bonus content in the new edition is necessary for the narrative. I ate every piece of it, and after reading it, I felt like I needed it. It isn’t just a bonus romance scene or extra scene that doesn’t fit the plot, but adds to the plot, giving the story and characters more. Without this bonus content, the story ends differently, and the characters’ stories end abruptly. The bonus content not only adds to the story but also fills in a significant question that appears, giving the novel a satisfying ending.
Final Thoughts
Veronica Lancet’s Fairydale takes historical fiction to an entirely new gothic level. A story full of spicy romances and magic, Lancet wrote an excellent standalone novel, proving how good she is at morally grey books. This book is for you if you need a new romance, historical, and gothic fiction.
You’ll love Fairydale if you love these books:
- A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
- Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
- House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Bookstr’s Fairydale dream cast:
- Emily Browning as Darcy O’Sullivan, the female main character.
- Theo James as Caleb Hale, the first male love interest.
- Kit Harington as Amon D’Artan, the second male love interest.
- Anya Taylor-Joy as Rhiannon Hale, a Hale who takes Darcy in.
- Kathy Bates as Lydia, Rhiannon’s grandmother.
- Cillian Murphy as Mr. Nicholson, Darcy’s relative.
Final Score: 4.5/5
Spice Level: 4/5
If you want to read Fairydale by Veronica Lancet, preorder it on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. Thank you, Atria Books, for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
To read another starred review about mystery and murder, click here!
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