Book written by Margaret Rogerson, published 2017.
The fair folk are many things: beautiful, immortal, proud, manipulative, powerful . . . dangerous. They are not creative or innovative thinkers, and what they crave most is Craft. They are physically unable to cook, sew, write, draw, or make anything for themselves, so they rely on mortals, living vicariously through their creations. Isobel is the best portrait artist in Whimsy, and has many well-known fair folk on her client list, including her newest patron, Rook, the prince of the autumn court. But perhaps Isobel is too talented for her own good. In his first portrait in over a thousand years, Isobel paints Rook with mortal sadness in his eyes, and Isobel finds herself whisked away to stand trial for her crime against the autumn prince.
As she and Rook travel to the autumn court, Isobel discovers that an unseen darkness threatens the fair folk and that she may not be the only one in mortal danger. Isobel and Rook will have to work together to survive, and their resulting friendship—dare we say romance? —will change the courts of the fair folk forever.
In a word, this story was refreshing. The books about fair folk that I normally read are a lot darker and much more passionate, but Rogerson’s interpretation brings back some innocence, and I really enjoyed it. The fair folk are traditionally masters of deception even though they are unable to lie outright, and most authors paint them as seemingly all-knowing creatures because they can manipulate the truth out of anyone. Rogerson takes a different approach and gives the fair folk an obvious ignorance when it comes to anything mortal. This may make Rogerson’s fair folk seem weaker at a glance, but their magic is still a force to be reckoned with. If anything, Rogerson’s interpretation is more endearing by comparison. I don’t know, it was just nice to read a story about the fair folk that was softer around the edges. Short, sweet, and simple.
One thing that caught my attention was Rogerson’s use of the second person in Isobel’s narration. In the beginning, Isobel directly addresses the audience as she tells her story (“You must keep in mind, of course, that all of this is only a glamour, not what they really look like underneath.”) which is an interesting technique that I rarely see. Her direct acknowledgment of the audience fades out once the plot picks up, but you still get the feeling that Isobel hasn’t lost her awareness of us. She continues to tell her story like she knows someone beyond the fourth wall is listening, and I haven’t had that experience with first-person narration before. It was really neat.
This book contains violence of the battling monsters and rescuing damsels variety—yes, there is blood. There is some nudity, but nothing graphic or inappropriate, and there is some language.
This spoiler warning is worthy of six ravens. If you don't know what that means, I suggest you don't continue on until you've read the book. ;)
"Isn't absurdity part of being human? We aren't ageless creatures who watch centuries pass from afar. Our worlds are small, our lives are short, and we can only bleed a little before we fall."
I did mention before that Rogerson’s fair folk are more ignorant and that it was endearing; I was thinking specifically of Rook. It didn’t matter what Isobel was doing, painting, cooking, bathing, or crying, Rook couldn’t make sense of any of it. I think one of my favorite parts of the book was when Isobel is trying to explain to Rook that she has to eat in order to survive, and then she has to explain that she can’t just eat the hare raw when Rook tries to help. I think that was the moment that really made me trust Rook because he owned the fact that he was clueless. And every helpless moment Rook experienced afterward was just as amusing and enchanting.
It wasn’t just Rook’s fumbles that made me like the romance element, but Isobel’s patience and courage. Dealing with fair folk is not for the faint of heart. Everyone in Whimsy secretly carries iron, a mortal’s only weapon against a fair one, and even Isobel has to be very careful and guarded in her words and reactions with every client, despite her popularity. Any other mortal in her situation would have been petrified from start to finish, but Isobel has so much gumption. She is no fighter. Isobel is gentle by nature, but she has had so much experience with fair folk that she knows exactly what’s puzzling to Rook and how to explain things so he understands. Isobel sees Rook more clearly than anyone else in his life, and it’s obvious that he recognizes that. Isobel can also be more of herself when she’s around Rook. She doesn’t have to fake a smile or mind her tone or pretend that everything is peachy keen like she does around Gadfly or Emma. She trusts that Rook won’t hurt her just because she expresses what she truly feels. I don’t know, it’s just one of those wholesome romances where both sides learn to trust each other before they really fall—and they weren’t enemies to start.
I do wonder why ravens? I can’t decide if that’s an autumn thing or just Rook’s thing or if it’s supposed to have a deeper significance, so I want your thoughts! Why do you think Rogerson picked ravens?
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