Bones of Faerie Trilogy by Janni Lee Simner

 

1) Bones of Faerie - 256 pages

2) Faerie Winter - 307 pages

3) Faerie After - 297 pages

15 year old Liza lives in a post-apocalyptic St. Louis area devastated by the aftermath of a war between humanity and faerie.  Magic slipped over into the human world as a consequence so now even the trees move with malicious intent and the world of faerie is believed to have been destroyed.  When Liza discovers that the magic has creeped into her as well giving her visions of the past and the future then she flees her isolated town and is set upon a path to find out the true nature of the world.  I very much enjoyed the world building and characters in this series.  The Arch even plays an integral role in Liza's quest! 

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff - 368 pages

Mackie Doyle is a changeling - he was swapped out with a human child and left in his place in his crib.  As Mackie grew up he knew he was different but never quite how much until now.   With one foot in Faerie and one in our world Mackie is struggling to find a place in either world.  Secrets literally lie beneath his small town that will shatter everything he knows and make him re-think his relationships with his family and friends. 

This is a very dark story reminiscent of the original Grimm's fairy tales before Disney got a hold of them.  It's marketed as a Teen book but has plenty to appeal to adult readers as well. 

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr – 328 pages

Aislinn, like her mother and grandmother, has the Sight.  She has been taught to not interact with faeries, but when a powerful noble faerie dons a glamour to court her in the human world, she is forced to break the rules she’s followed all her life.  Keenan is the Summer King, and he must find his Summer Queen in order to gain his rightful place and power held by his cruel mother, Beira, the Winter Queen.  Many girls, like the unfortuate Donia, have tried to pass the test to be Keenan’s queen, only to be trapped in the Winter Queen’s cold.  Aislinn wants to be with the human Seth and not become a faerie, but the fate of both faerie and human worlds depend on her choice. 

Dark and sensual with an engaging style, this book portrays the faerie world as full of violence and capriciousness as it is laughter, warmth, and dance.  Though not many of the characters were to my liking, through the view of their inner worlds and the experience of their thoughts and feelings, I was still able to give them some appreciation.  None of the characters face easy choices, but by the finale, their sacrifices and compromises allow them to achieve most of their ends and desires. 

A Shiver of Light by Laurell K. Hamilton

A Shiver of Light by Laurell K. Hamilton - 384 pages
Meredith Gentry Series Book 9

The latest entry in Hamilton's Faerie series show a disappointing trend towards "therapy on a page" which is prevalent now in the Anita Blake series.  There is tons and tons of expository dialogue where characters psychoanalyze themselves and others without much plot actually occurring.  I have liked the previous books in this series and hope this is just an aberration.

This book opens with Princess Meredith about to give birth and facing the fallout from the vicious attack from her great uncle.  The rest of the book covers the birth and how the babies affect the status of Merry and her men in both faerie and human society.  I like the characters enough to keep going with this series but I fear it is going the Anita Blake route and I may just have to walk away.  

Faerie Winter by Jannie Lee Simner

Faerie Winter by Jannie Lee Simner, 270 pages
Book 2 of the series

Liza is a summoner. In the first part of the series, she discovers this about herself and embarks on a journey to find her mother. This series picks up where the last left off. Liza's mom is recovering from her time in Faerie. The earth is going back to normal with trees, plants, etc. no longer seeking human blood and bone like they used to, but winter lingers and a famine is setting in. Fighting a famine is bad enough, but Liza then has to deal with a stranger in the village whose gift is fire. An accident sends Matthew, Liza's skinwalker friend, off to find Kaylen, who is a faerie and a healer. Liza's visions teach her more about the relationship between Kaylen and her mother ... and hints that their love sparked the original fight between man and faerie.

Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire

Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire - 368 pages
October Daye - Book 7

This series has some of the best world building for urban / faerie fantasy out there.  The main mystery is solved in each book but I wouldn't recommend reading out of sequence.  The relationships and the reveals over time are masterful in bringing layers to the story.  This book finds Toby (October) and Tybalt's relationship growing as both struggle to find their footing in a new life as a couple.  The kingdom is threatened by the influx of a goblin drug that is harmful to humans and changelings but just gets Faeries high - so it's not high on the list of things for the Faerie leadership to stop.  Toby has to gather her trusted band of misfits to fight the threat and try and do the right thing as a good knight must.  

Need by Carrie Jones

Need by Carrie Jones, 306 pages
(bk 1 of series)

Weres and Pixies and Magic oh my! A twist on Faerie, this Teen Fantasy book is a fun read. Granted the author gives absolutely everything away ... and the characters believe the unbelievable without question, but yet the author still bundles it nicely together. A little bit of danger and teen romance will keep readers turning pages.

Dreams and Shadows by C. Robert Cargill

Dreams and Shadows by C. Robert Cargill - 448 pages

This book is Game of Thrones, faerie style.  Two children, Ewan Thatcher and Colby Stevens find themselves embroiled in palace intrigue from the faerie realm of the Limestone Kingdom.  Ewan is snatched from his parents to be raised in faerie and replaced with an evil changeling.  Colby Stevens is a neglected child of a single mom who meets a djinn who can make all his wishes come true, but at what terrible price?  The two cross paths and face the challenge of whether or not destiny is something to be accepted or something to rail against.  The gritty realism transposed with the paranormal / faerie elements makes this book stand out from the crowd.

Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs - 352 pages
Mercy Thompson Book 7

This is another solid entry in the series.  Mercy's adjusting to her new life as the acknowledged mate of Adam Hauptmann, the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, which comes with a stepdaughter as well.  A simple car accident spirals into a terrifying hunt for why is no one in the pack is reachable.  Political intrigue at the highest level about the rights of supernaturals in America puts Mercy and her new family in such danger that Mercy has to call for help from the most unlikely of allies. Strong characters and vivid dialogue continue to keep this series fresh.

Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire

Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire
October Daye Book #6

Almost a year has passed since Knight of Faerie October Daye saved the world yet again and suffered enormous personal losses as the cost.  Daye is still recovering when another crisis is dumped in her lap.  Fellow Knight, Etienne contracts her services to locate his kidnapped changeling daughter who is endangering all of Faerie with her uncontrolled talents.  This is a series best read from the beginning so that the relationships make sense.  The scenes with the burgeoning romance between October and Tybalt are pretty darn poignant for urban fantasy.  I consume this books quickly and always look forward to the next one.

Cold Days by Jim Butcher

Cold Days: A Novel of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher - 528 pages
Book 14 of the Dresden Files

This rollercoaster of action is a treat for longtime fans of the series.  Harry Dresden is forced to take on new challenges and play a different role in the battle of light and darkness then he has previously due to having bargained with Queen Mab to save his daughter.  He is now living out his end of things by assuming the mantle of the Winter Knight.  As always there is an apocalypse brewing that Harry and his Scooby gang must thwart. But this book also expands the series by having established characters grow and also be revealed as having different motivations than previously thought. The Dresden Files is a series that rewards the reader for paying attention and this book is filled with callbacks to events in previous books.  

Winter Rose by Patricia McKillip

Winter Rose by Patricia McKillip - 262 pages

Rois has always been drawn to the woods.  When Corbet appears in town and starts to rebuild his family's house in the woods, Rois feels compelled to solve the mystery surrounding him and his family's curse.
I love Patricia McKillip books.  This is one of her older books that I had missed reading before.  I truly enjoyed it.  A definite must read for her fans.