Synopsis
I’m Ivy Lane, and if I never see another faerie again, it’ll be too soon.
Twenty years after the faeries came and destroyed the world as we knew it, I use my specialist skills to keep rogue faeries in line and ensure humans and their magically gifted neighbours can coexist (relatively) peacefully.
Nobody knows those skills came from the darkest corner of Faerie itself.
When a human child disappears, replaced with a faerie changeling, I have to choose between taking the safe road or exposing my own history with the faeries to the seductively dangerous head of the Mage Lords. He’s the exact kind of distraction I don’t need, but it’s work with him or lose my chance to save the victims.
It’ll take all my skills to catch the kidnappers and stop Faerie’s dark denizens overrunning the city — but if the faerie lords find out about the magic I stole last time I went into their realm, running won’t save me this time…
Review
Another read on my ever-present quest to read all my fellow authors in The Book of Spores Anthology. Grabbed books 1-3 box set of The Changeling Chronicles on Audible to help me get another checked off the list. Taking on a whole trilogy without prior knowledge of the story can be tricky, but this is certainly paying off. Luci Christian Bell’s narration is fantastic, bringing Ivy to life in such a compulsively listenable way.
Ivy Lane’s world is built on tenuous peace at best. Since the faerie invasion, there’s been little anyone can do to keep the fighting at bay. And while Ivy may have more reason than others to hate the folks the invasion left behind, she now uses her skills to investigate and stop rogue fae, ensuring their fates are continually intertwined. Her magic, which she loosely tells people is from being a witch (although notably coven-less), is anything but, and despite her best efforts, she’s pulled into the deep end of a world of trouble. Human children kidnapped, a shockingly handsome Mage Lord, and a power struggle she wants nothing to do with but simply can’t let lie.
With notes of Carnival Row, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and The Nevers, this one also reminded me of Mawce Hanlin’s Under the Dragon Moon, in the sense that when urban fantasy is done well, I quite enjoy it. I am not well-versed in changelings or faerie stories, I admit, but this one does a great job at setting up the world while still leaving mystery. I felt myself consistently wondering about the goings-on in the world at large, while also not feeling as if I was missing something. There’s a particular talent on display when an author can make you wish for more without coming off as purposefully vague or even misleading. Adams smashes toeing that line. Intrigue over mislead
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times: I LOVE books that mesh or transcend genres. This proves that statement remains true. Fantasy laid over our natural world, a mystery that follows a typical investigation pattern regardless of magic or creatures, the hints of a romance even though the secrets kept are awfully piled high. I think this one is really great. As I type this, it also brings to mind Benjamin Aeveryn’s Blackcap (another great genre blend). If genres and tropes have been done, and done again, mixing them up is a fantastic way to freshen things up.
The magic system is an interesting one. There are a multitude of magical creatures, so there are no hard rules here. As Ivy is unsure of her own powers as well, it allows for her to progress with them as the story goes on (and I’d imagine into the following books too). The fact that the world sets up witches, mages, necromancers, spirits, faeries (in the more traditional sense), and even hellhounds, I feel the possibilities are endless! Especially with Ivy doing odd-job investigations, there’s no telling where the series can go.
Ivy is a somewhat brusque, witty character. She certainly shines on with that millennial sarcasm. While that’s not really anything new for this kind of lead, it is crafted spectacularly. The author’s choice of a first-person POV really sells it, as her inner monologue is both funny and relevant. Ivy is the exact sort of reluctant hero you can see yourself falling in with for a series of magical books.
Perfect for fans of urban fantasy, fantasy, faeries, and mystery. A Jack of all trades, this one.
EDIT: While posting this tonight, I realized I forgot to mention my favorite part?! Necromancers mean dead folks, or more importantly, UNdead folk! The novel mentions an undead uprising, and honestly, does this exist somewhere? A short story, a side-story novella, a prequel? Can it exist if not? Please help me bombard the author with zombie requests!
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