The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

The Faerie Ring:
The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.

Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton pulled me in from the very first pages, and kept me hooked until I turned the last. Kiki created an amazing atmosphere; at times I could feel the cold air of London surrounding me. The characters were bright and vivid, and I became emotionally attached to them the instant each was introduced. The romance between Tiki and Rieker is subtle, but the tension keeps you turning pages. I loved Kiki’s faerie lore and her imaginative use of history. Tiki was an admirable character, even if she was a pick-pocket. Due to dark circumstances at home, Tiki is forced to live on the streets where she is taken in by two other street children fighting to survive. When a fellow street urchin, Rieker, begins following her around, strange things start happening.  Danger and mystery surround Tiki and her friends after she steals a ring from Buckingham Palace. An accord has been struck between the fae and humans, but the truce is weakening because the ring binds each side together. Tiki discovers that Rieker has been keeping secrets from her, but she must trust him in order to save her friends and stop the faeries from harming innocent people.