I had extra time on my hands this lazy spring Sunday, thus I was able to read The Falconer all in one sitting. I enjoyed it. It is very reminiscent of the Faefever series but enjoyable in its own different way. 
 For starters, there was the steampunk aspect. I loved that Aileana was an engineer and had all these wonderful Fae killing gadgets: a sonic cannon, a dart pistol, explosives. She even has an ornithopter (which I still can't pronounce) likened to Leonardo Da Vinci's bat winged flying machine. I could very much picture this version of Edinburgh with elite flying machines and motorized carriages. It was a lovely place to be. 
 Except for all the murderous Fae. Here, they are imagined in all shapes and forms. There are flying dragon like creatures called sluagh, wolf like creatures: du sithe (don't quote me on that), troll like Fae called red caps, pixies, and a few others I can't pronounce or spell. There is a bestiary included at the end of the book with Aileana and Kiaran's notes on each type. Each had their own strengths and weaknesses and Aileana makes full use of her gadgets on them. 
 The beginning of the book is very fast paced. Aileana fights Fae after Fae, including one long battle in the middle where a couple types of Fae are chasing after her and she is mostly blind to them. Aileana's weakness against the Fae is an interesting one, in that she can't see them without the use of a special flower. If the necklace is removed, or if she is forced to use it as her only weapon, she can't see or hear them, and must sense them and their magic. It's odd to say this, but I hope we see more blind Fae battles in the next book, because that's when they got really interesting. 
 I enjoyed the characters for the most part. Aileana is a hero who is strong and broken and vulnerable all at once. Kiaran is her mysterious Fae trainer, but as he has so many secrets, and shows so little emotion, it was hard to get a real feel for him. Gavin is an old friend with an ability to see the Fae and he is a true gentleman. There is going to be an inevitable love triangle here, and I feel like I'm supposed to root for Kiaran, but in truth I felt Gavin was a better character. 
 Then there's Derrick. The honey drunk, foul mouthed, tailoring, mending, thief of a pixie. If I'm being honest, Derrick outshines them all. I absolutely loved and adored him and found myself smiling at everything he did. If this trilogy ever gets a spin off, I hope Derrick is the MC. 
 My biggest critique for the book seems to be the same critique I have for all YA fiction, it can be redundant at times. "Kiaran is not human." "Kiaran keeps secrets." "Never trust a fae." "I'm a murdering liar." There were an additional two lines that were repeated frequently that I think did actually work well here, "Crimson suits you best," and "Can you name the stars, Aileana?" And the reason they worked was because they were more meaningful than being an 18 year old's inner boy crush monologue. They were being used to highlight the horror of that moment when Aileana's mother was murdered, and simultaneously to remind Aileana's of the memories and the love she shared with her mother. They also have a significant impact in the "end" of the book that I won't share because spoilers. 
 Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any fans of Fae fantasy. It also ended on a huge cliff hanger so I'll be on the lookout for the next two books!