By A Silver Thread (Book 1)
Synopsis
In the world’s most magical metropolis where spirits run noodle shops and cash-strapped dragons stage photo-ops for tourists, people still think fairies are nothing but stories, and that’s exactly how the fairies like it. It’s a lot easier to feast on humanity’s dreams when no one believes you exist. But while this arrangement works splendidly for most fair folk, Lola isn’t one of the lucky ones.
She’s a changeling, a fairy monster made just human enough to dupe unsuspecting parents while fairies steal their real child. The magic that sustains her was never meant to last past the initial theft, leaving Lola without a future. But thanks to Victor Conrath, a very powerful–and very illegal–blood mage, she was given the means to cheat death.
For a price.
Now the only changeling ever to make it to adulthood, Lola has served the blood mage faithfully, if reluctantly, for twenty years. Her unique ability to slip through wards and change her shape to look like anyone has helped make Victor a legend in the DFZ’s illegal-magic underground. It’s not a great life, but at least the work is stable… until her master vanishes without a trace.
With only a handful left of the pills that keep her human, Lola must find Victor before she turns back into the fairy monster she was always meant to be. But with a whole SWAT team of federal paladins hunting her as a blood-mage accomplice, an Urban Legend on a silent black motorcycle who won’t leave her alone, and a mysterious fairy king with the power to make the entire city dream, Lola’s chances of getting out of this alive are as slender as a silver thread.
Review
I’ve read and enjoyed other books set in the DFZ universe by Rachel Aaron, so picking up this series was a no-brainer. I’m a huge fan of urban fantasy with creative worldbuilding and a post-apocalyptic edge, and I really enjoy how Aaron incorporates familiar fantasy creatures into her worlds but with her own unique flair. She did this with the dragons in Nice Dragons Finish Last, and I was very excited to see her take on fairies next.
Lola, the main character, is a changeling. True fairies are rare, but changelings like her are created by using magic to replace a human child and usually disappear when the magic sustaining them unravels. However, she works for an unscrupulous blood mage, Victor, who effectively keeps her tethered to him by giving her capsules that keep her human. She’s forced to use her ability to slip past wards and change her appearance to commit crimes… until Victor disappears. This puts her on a countdown to find him before she runs out of the pills keeping her human, and since this happens right at the start of the novel, the tension is high from the outset.
As a protagonist, Lola is definitely an underdog, and one I found myself rooting for from the outset as she struggles to survive and form alliances with other fascinating characters, a lot of whom are also connected to Victor. The varied cast are well developed and intriguing and I’m excited to see them explored more in the sequels.
The pace of the narrative is fast and the action high, but it’s the depth to the characters and world that really kept me invested in this book. I love how the author continues to expand this world in each series and I’m looking forward to picking up the sequel right away.
With A Golden Sword (Book 2)
Synopsis
Standing up to Victor was only the beginning.
Three weeks ago, Lola put her soul on the line to save her sister and stop an abusive blood mage from making himself a god. But while she managed to derail the worst of Victor’s plans, the rest of the world still sees her old master as the hero. To make matters worse, the Nightmare King Alberich has entirely escaped his prison and is now leading the Wild Hunt on a rampage of fear and chaos across the skies of Europe.
With Alberich playing the villain, it’s only a matter of time before Victor convinces all of humanity that his abusive magic is their only hope. Lola’s not about to let him get his dirty hands on that kind of power. But while she’s free to fight him, Simon and the Black Rider are still trapped under the blood mage’s boot. Lola will have to break them both out before she can take Victor down, but her former master’s plans are far from finished. He’s playing a game none of them can predict for a prize no one yet understands, and once all of his pieces are in place, the future of the world will hang on the edge of a golden sword.
Review
I dove straight into the second instalment in this series after finishing the first. Once again, I was swept into an entertaining thrill ride as Lola deals with the fallout of the first book in the series. Without giving too much away, Lola’s ally is still trapped under the thrall of the enemy who has made the world see him as a hero.
Lola’s character growth is wonderful, but she never loses the core of who she is as a person. The other characters are equally memorable, with some truly villainous villains. The story is fast-paced and the action never relents. While some of it felt like setup for the final book, a few of the plot twists genuinely surprised me, and Aaron really tugs at the heartstrings in this one. I remain impressed about the creativity of this series world and how the author constantly uncovers new corners to explore, which helps keep things fresh.
Overall, this is a strong second instalment in the series and I’m excited to move on to the finale!
To The Bloody End: Book 3
Synopsis
No Victor lasts forever.
Victor thought he won when he became the Hero. He thought he won when he took over the DFZ. He thought he’d made himself untouchable.
He’s wrong.
Lola isn’t the sad little monster she used to be. She has a plan, she has allies, she has more magic than she ever dreamed possible. Killing one blood mage should be easy with a fairy kingdom at her fingertips, but Victor didn’t make himself a god by playing fair, and his bag of tricks is far from empty. Taking him down will take everything Lola and her friends can bring, but if there’s one thing Lola’s always been, it’s determined. No matter the cost, no matter what it takes, she will see this through.
To the bloody end.
Review
The final instalment of Rachel Aaron’s DFZ Changeling trilogy is the most action-packed yet, as the author builds towards the climactic standoff between Lola and her enemy. While I don’t want to delve into spoilers, I was delighted with the way the characters developed over the course of the final book and I thought the main relationships were handled in a satisfying way.
The plot remains equally thrilling, and I loved that we got to dive more into the magic underlying this fascinating world. A major part of why I enjoy Aaron’s books set in this universe so much is because I have an eternal soft spot for urban fantasy with a post-apocalyptic flavour. When you add fairies, too, it’s hard not to add this series to my list of favourites alongside the previous ones. If the author returns to this world again, I’ll be the first in line!
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