Under the Earth, Over the Sky

Product Information

But if you are looking to be swept away in magical descriptions with unique fae creatures and cradled in flowery language, then this is exactly what you need. Probably the two biggest things that really stood out to me and made this book so great was how the world was portrayed and the relationships between the characters. I’ll start with the latter. Not all of the book was stuff I had trouble connecting with. The world Emily describes is very gorgeous and I could envision myself being in the forest with the sunbeams hitting just right through the trees. I loved the idea of various kingdoms trying to combat the threat of the ripples even if it wasn't as action filled as I imagined. I did feel vaguely happy at the end that a few things were resolved even if it didn't have a big grand conflict at the end like I wanted. There is a mystery element to this book that I wasn’t expecting, but quite liked. There are spooky shadows that keep appearing to Iohmar, seeming to want something from him, but not communicating what that is. And then there the ripplings, shimmering creatures that were long ago enemies and are now popping up again, much to Iohmar’s horror.

This story is very much a fairy tale in its telling; it gave off similar vibes as the writings of the Brothers Grimm, but with more attachment to the characters and less bloody violence. Please be aware that the delivery time frame may vary according to the area of delivery - the approximate delivery time is usually between 1-2 business days. The characters from Lor, his adopted son to the tiny branches of the forest that are always reaching for him (at times smothering him with their needs) become a beloved story of duty, love, guilt, grievance, fear and how difficult it is manage so many things that effect all of us so significantly. I was sold on the relationships between these characters, could believe they cared for one another, and loved that the heart of the story sat with a father and son. His relationships with his dad-not-dad, Galen, was quite wholesome which reflected in his relationship with his son. Ultimately the found family of it all is what convinced me to read this story and I was not disappointed. Iohmar was a loving and devoted father.

eBook Details

Learning about him, his insecurities and issues hit very close and i just had to fall in love with him. The story begins with the fae king, Iohmar, discovering a human infant in his forest. The baby’s mother has just died, and the virtually immortal fae is at a loss as to what to do with the child. He is forbidden by his own laws from taking the baby, yet he also feels compelled to do so. As a result of learning that the baby’s father is a nasty person, Iohmar chooses to temporarily house the infant at his Fair Halls.

I am so excited that I finally got to read this bc I have been waiting for what feels like forever since I saw a single video of this on TikTok and was instantly hooked. But even if these questions are never answered, this book was a wonderful read. I bought it on the Kindle app, but I’m planning of obtaining a physical copy myself. I’d love to have this sitting pretty on my shelf. spoilers, minor Below is a summary of the first 20% or so of the book; it contains almost all of the relevant information, with the exception of one minor detail that I have marked as a spoiler but you can safely ignore. because it is so early in the story, it will not be a spoiler, but it will change things Literally the one and only thing I didn't like about this book was that now that I'm finished it's over. I want to know more! See the child growing up more and see all the other events long term affects! Learn more about the characters and the world and the past. Don't get me wrong, the book was a perfect length, not too long or short. It's just that I, as a reader, don't want to leave this magical world that Miss Emily has crafted yet. As I said before, the wording of this book is just absolutely stellar. Everything is described so beautifully and if you close your eyes, you can picture yourself in the magical forest, you can almost smell the earth in the underground scenes, or feel the heat of the sand in the desert. I’ve never read Tolkien (yes, I know, I'm the worst), but from what I’ve heard, this story and his writings share lengthy nature descriptions. So if you are in the mood for that, then this would be a great read for you. The living forest aspect of it also reminded me somewhat of Narnia.Honestly, this is the perfect book to curl up outside or by a fire. When you want to be engaged in the act of reading and soaking in words, but also soaking in the environment around you. Graphic designer, weird-thing writer, and expert daydreamer Emily McCosh. She currently resides in California with her parents, two canine companions, a single fish, a single tree swing, and an endless cast of characters who might use some etiquette training. Her work has been published in places including Nature: Futures, Flash Fiction Online, Galaxy’s Edge, and Shimmer Magazine. Authors, if you are a member of the Goodreads Author Program, you can edit information about your own books. Find out how in this guide. The cast of the story is small (always my preference), but I was a little disappointed that we never really get the depth of relationship that a small cast allows. We hear very similar things about the relationships (how there is love and respect and care), but instead of deepening, growing more complex, we get a repetition of feelings throughout the story – something that made me think this would have worked better as a short story. This could very easily be attributed to these relationships simply being too mature for any genuine conflict, but without tension in the world, or the plot, it leaves a very flat (albeit beautifully described) story. Other thing about the last chapter: the male MC lose his powers at the end of the book.....which, ok, it makes sense I guess because now he won't outlive the MC and they can have a proper family together....but it would've been so much better if SHE became immortal and they could live together forever. It felt like a real let down because he worked SO WELL as this god of the north wind and now he's just a good looking guy with anger issues -_-

I have been struggling with reading and finishing books lately and could feel the reading slump coming but I could not put this book down. Then there is the world and the characters, both wonderful and soft with much depth that is sometimes left unanswered (which is good!). The way Io absolutely MELTS for his little human foundling is both gutwrenching and heartwarming at the same time! The way he holds and cares for him, the way he openly shows him his feelings and reassures him of his love despite being riddled woth self-doubt and fear is LOVELY, BEAUTIFUL AMAZING (especially when he compares himself to his parents, knowing they would never be as open with their affection due to their position as rulers and despite feeling they wouldn't approve of him, he still DOES IT) 💕 As far as the characters go, I really liked the main character, Iohmar, and the other fae ruler, Queen Rúnda. They had interesting magical abilities, such as being able to summon the winds to ride or teleport using rays of sunlight. In fact, every one of the magical folk had interesting abilities, though they weren’t always shown as much as I would have liked. Character dynamics were perfect. I found that I quite liked the point of view of a “man” (disrespectful to call him that to be honest because he is the King of the fae), especially one as strong, yet vulnerable as Iohmar. He frustrated me at times with his inability to be outwardly vulnerable to his closest loved ones, but his growth in that area was clear to see by the end of the book. Plus, we love a “man” who can apologize and own up to his shortcomings. Under the Earth, Over the Sky is now on my must-read-again list and will be recommended to everyone I know. But I promise you, I read this masterpiece in practically every free moment I had, even if it took me longer to finish than I’d like to confess.Lastly, while I liked the play with time, it was off putting to see “the child’s” (don’t want to spoil his name for anyone; names are powerful things you should know) age progression. One moment he was but a wee babe who couldn’t speak and then the next chapter he was suddenly speaking in complete sentences. I got used to it, but it was jarring and his various ages confused me. Perhaps this was the point though, and I make a note of this in my pros section. This book was whimsical and ethereal— mysterious yet inviting. It pulls you in like a siren song but instead of drowning, you come out feeling inspired and perhaps a little bit more alive than before. I did not see the ending regarding the Rippling coming, but I felt like it was a good fit. I do wish we had gotten more of that, but I understand it was paired with another big reveal.