The Thorn Queen by Sasha Peyton Smith (The Rose Bargain book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Rose Bargain, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Wed to one brother.
In love with the other.

Having won the hand of the faerie King Bram, Ivy is now Queen of England.

But with his ascension to the throne, Bram unleashed the fae into the human world. After hundreds of years of being kept from their favorite playthings, the Others are looking to make up for lost time—and they do, with wicked revelry that sweeps through the country.

To survive, Ivy acts the sweet, devoted wife. Behind the smile, she plots to banish her husband, save her sister Lydia, and reunite with the love of her life, Emmett.

Yet Emmet and Lydia are trapped in the Otherworld, where fae games are deadlier than ever—and a queen must play most viciously of all. Or see herself dethroned.” - taken from Goodreads.

Even though the first book in this duology ended in a cliffhanger, this book was a bit slow to start. Without giving too much away, Ivy, Lydia, and Emmett must find a way to get out from under Bram’s cruel reign of not only England but the Otherworld. The epilogue to the story was great, without giving too much away, I wish it hadn’t been so one sided.

Visit Sasha Peyton Smith’s website.

Between These Broken Hearts by Lexi Ryan (These Hollow Vows book 4)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book, Beneath These Cursed Stars, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Princess Jasalyn has eleven days to live.

Jasalyn is facing the repercussions of a deadly bargain. Her life, and the future of the shadow court, are forfeit on her birthday unless she can stop the evil fae king Mordeus. She needs to face her greatest fears and find him before she runs out of time, but even after everything, Kendrick won’t let her face this alone.

Shape-shifter Felicity has vanished.

Felicity disappeared from King Misha’s dungeons, and her friends have been searching for her to no avail. But even if she’s found, Felicity will never be able to escape the oracle’s tragic prophecy for her and her family. In her lonely battle with fate, Misha is the last person she can ask to stand by her side, but the first one she’ll need.” - taken from Goodreads.

A good ending to not only the duology but the overall series as well,

Visit Lexi Ryan’s website.

The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith

 

“Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen.

High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them suitors: a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.

But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin… and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.

Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart—and at the center of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything Ivy knows.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book was pitched as The Cruel Prince meets The Selection and boy was that correct. It is also a twist on the history of English royalty where a fae queen sits on the throne. Ivy Benton is determined to find out what happened to her older sister Lydia during her disappearance. Fallen from society because of her sister, the family’s hopes are dependent on the match Ivy can make during her season. The stakes are raised substantially when the Queen announces that her son, Prince Bram, will be looking for a wife. Can Ivy survive the brutal season that she is about to face?

No word yet on a second book, but with that ending, there better be one on the horizon,

Visit Sasha Peyton Smith’s website.

Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan

 

Spoiler alert. It's not necessary to read the first two books in the previous series,These Hollow Vows, but it will greatly enhance your reading pleasure with this one

“Princess Jasalyn has a secret. Armed with an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, Jas has been sneaking away from the palace at night to assassinate her enemies.

Shape-shifter Felicity needs a miracle. Fated to kill her magical father, she’s been using her unique ability to evade a fatal prophecy.

When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread through the shadow court, Jasalyn decides to end him once and for all. Felicity agrees to take the form of the princess, allowing Jas to covertly hunt Mordeus—and starting Felicity on the path that could finally take her home.

While Jasalyn teams up with the charming and handsome Kendrick, Felicity sets out to get closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Kendrick helps Jasalyn feel something other than anger for the first time in three years, and Misha makes Felicity wish for a world where she’s free to be her true self. Soon, the girls’ missions are at risk right alongside their hearts.

The future of the human and fae realms hangs in the balance as fates intertwine. Between perilous tasks, grim secrets, and forbidden romances, Jasalyn and Felicity find that perhaps their stars are the most cursed of all.” - taken from Goodreads.

Readers will recognize Jasalyn as Brie’s younger sister who was held captive by Mordeus in the earlier books. Bitter, when she is captured by a group determined to end Mordeus once and for all, Jas joins in as her doppelganger, Felicity, goes to the Wild Fae court to find a hidden portal. Soon both girls are caught up in their new roles where their futures offer new possibilities that they never dreamed possible. This book does end in a cliffhanger that will leave readers wondering what happens to both Jas and Felicity.

Visit Lexi Ryan’s website.

The Summer Queen by Rochelle Hassan (Buried & the Bound trilogy book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Buried & the Bound, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“As a new coven, Aziza, Leo, and Tristan faced evil and triumphed. All that’s left is to put their lives back together, a process complicated by the fallout from painful secrets, the emotional and physical scars they now carry, and the mysteries that still haunt them.

But with the approach of the solstice comes the arrival of strange new visitors to Blackthorn: the Summer Court, a nomadic community of Fair Folk from deep in Elphame. They’ve journeyed to the border between the human world and fairyland, far from their usual caravan route, to take back something that belongs to them—something Leo’s not willing to lose.

Refusing to give up without a fight, he makes a risky deal with the Summer Court’s princess and regent. The challenge she proposes sends Coven Blackthorn into the farthest, wildest reaches of Elphame.

But when you play games with the Fair Folk, even winning has a cost.” - taken from Goodreads.

Aziza, Leo and Tristan are trying to figure out what's next in their lives when they must launch a rescue mission to the Summer Court. Shocking secrets and some new characters are introduced to set up the final book in this trilogy.

The final book in the trilogy, The Spell for Unraveling, is coming out on August 12, 2025.

Visit Rochelle Hassan’s website.

The Prisoner’s Throne by Holly Black (Stolen Heir duology book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Stolen Heir, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“An imprisoned prince. A vengeful queen. And a battle that will determine the future of Elfhame.

 

Prince Oak is paying for his betrayal. Imprisoned in the icy north and bound to the will of a monstrous new queen, he must rely on charm and calculation to survive. With High King Cardan and High Queen Jude willing to use any means necessary to retrieve their stolen heir, Oak will have to decide whether to attempt regaining the trust of the girl he’s always loved or to remain loyal to Elfhame and hand over the means to end her reign—even if it means ending Wren, too.



 

With a new war looming on the horizon and treachery lurking in every corner, neither Oak’s guile nor his wit will be enough to keep everyone he loves alive. It’s just a question of whom he will doom.” - taken from Goodreads

As The Stolen Heir was told from Suren’s POV, this book is pure Oak. Continuing the story, the race is on for Oak to discover who is plotting against his sister and the throne. The ending includes action with Jade and Carden.

Visit Holly Black’s website.

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

 

“Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. She’s had no choice. Since childhood, she’s been haunted by visions of the Fairy King. She’s found solace only in the pages of Angharad - author Emrys Myrddin’s beloved epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, and then destroys him.

Effy’s tattered, dog-eared copy is all that’s keeping her afloat through her stifling first term at Llyr’s prestigious architecture college. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to design the late author’s house, Effy feels certain this is her destiny.

But Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task: a musty, decrepit estate on the brink of crumbling into a hungry sea. And when Effy arrives, she finds she isn’t the only one who’s made a temporary home there. Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar, is studying Myrddin’s papers and is determined to prove her favorite author is a fraud.

As the two rival students investigate the reclusive author’s legacy, piecing together clues through his letters, books, and diaries, they discover that the house’s foundation isn’t the only thing that can’t be trusted. There are dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspiring against them - and the truth may bring them both to ruin.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book was incredible! Fantasy, books, and romance, what more could you ask for. I loved everything about the story; the mystery, the slow burn romance, the lyrical writing, Effy’s attitude. I couldn’t wait for the ending to see if my suspicions came true. Definitely a top 10 book of the year for me.

Visiting Ava Reid’s website.

Omen of Ice by Jus Accardo (Omen of Ice book 1)

“Keltania Tunne has spent her whole life training to become a bodyguard for a Winter Fae. It’s the highest of honors for a druid…only when Tania arrives at the Winter Court for the first time, nothing is what she expected.

Her assignment is the heir to the throne, Valen, and he doesn’t want her protection. In fact, he wants her gone. Yesterday. But Tania will not compromise, even if he is the most arrogant jackass she’s ever met―because something isn’t right in the Winter Court.

Everyone has secrets. From the Winter Lord to the kitchen maids to the rising faction that wants the prince dead―no one is who they seem. And now it’s up to Tania to keep her sacred oath and protect Valen, even when his smart mouth makes her skate the razor-thin edge between love and hate.

But the more she gets to know him, the more she realizes his secret is the biggest of all―and might just get them both killed.” - taken from Goodreads.

Here is another enemies to friends/almost lovers story. Sworn to protect a prince who doesn’t want her protection, the stakes get extremely complicated when a protection spell goes wrong and ties Tania and Valen together. In an attempt to rectify the situation, the two realize that they are each harboring secrets as they discover their lives are in danger. Plenty of jaw dropping surprises come one after the other as the ending thunders along. 

Book two has not been announced.

Visit Jus Accardo’s website.

That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams (The Forge & Fracture Saga book 1)

 

“Sixteen-year-old Joan Sands is a gifted craftswoman who creates and upkeeps the stage blades for William Shakespeare’s acting company, The King’s Men. Joan’s skill with her blades comes from a magical ability to control metal—an ability gifted by her Head Orisha, Ogun. Because her whole family is Orisha-blessed, the Sands family have always kept tabs on the Fae presence in London. Usually that doesn’t involve much except noting the faint glow around a Fae’s body as they try to blend in with London society, but lately, there has been an uptick in brutal Fae attacks. After Joan wounds a powerful Fae and saves the son of a cruel Lord, she is drawn into political intrigue in the human and Fae worlds.” - taken from Goodreads.

A historical fantasy that centers around the reign of King James I, it is up to Joan and her friends to stop the wayward Fae from taking over London before it is too late.

Book two, Saint-Seducing Gold, is due out April 30, 2024.

Visit Brittany N. Williams’ website.

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black (The Stolen Heir book 1)

 

SPOILER ALERT! The Stolen Heir duology continues the story originally told in The Air of Folk trilogy.

“A runaway queen. A reluctant prince. And a quest that may destroy them both.

Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There, she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge.

Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world. There, she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag, Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage and who she has resented for years.

Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful, and manipulative. He’s on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren’s help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, as well as confronting all the horrors she thought she left behind.” - taken from Goodreads.

Suren’s life didn’t get any easier when she left the Court of Teeth for the mortal world. When she catches the attention of Bogdana, Prince Oak is the one to come to her rescue. Dragged back into the politics of Elfhame, Suren is not sure who to trust. Once childhood friends, Suren tries not to let herself fall under the allure of Oak. On a mission to her former home, can Suren finally find it in herself to trust or will she always need to watch her back? Fans will be eagerly awaiting the conclusion to this story.

The story will be concluded with book two, The Prisoner’s Throne, on February 27, 2024.

Visit Holly Black’s website.

These Twisted Bonds by Lexi Ryan (These Hollow Vows book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, These Hollow Vows, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Brie finds herself caught between two princes and two destinies while the future of the fae realm hangs in the balance.

After Abriella's sister was sold to the fae, she thought life couldn't get any worse. But when she suddenly finds herself caught in a web of lies of her own making ­- loving two princes and trusting neither - things are not quite as clear as she once thought.

As civil war wages in the Court of Darkness, Brie finds herself unable to choose a side. How can she know where she stands when she doesn't even know herself anymore? In this darkly romantic thrill ride, the more Faerie is torn apart from the inside, the clearer it becomes that prophecies don't lie and Brie has a role to play in the fate of this magical realm - whether she likes it or not.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book was the conclusion to Brie’s journey to fae and the deception that she found there. With never a dull moment and a few surprises thrown in along the way, fand of the series will be satisfied with the ending.

Visit Lexi Ryan’s website.

These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan (These Hollow Vows book 1)

 

“Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them, even if that means starving on the street. But when her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie court to pay a debt, she'll do whatever it takes to get her back—including making a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court.

Gaining unfettered access to the Seelie court is easier said than done. Brie's only choice is to pose as a potential bride for Prince Ronan, and she soon finds herself falling for him. Unwilling to let her heart distract her, she accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits with their own secret agenda. As Brie spends time with their mysterious leader, Finn, she struggles to resist his seductive charm.

Caught between two dangerous courts, Brie must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was the book that I have been needing in my life. Brie and her sister Jaz are in an impossible situation, overwhelming debt owed to the aunt they work for. When Madam Vivias sells Jaz to the fae to settle their debts, Brie is determined to get her back. Extremely distrustful of the fae, Brie is desperate and makes a deal with the king of the Unseelie Court. Send. Soon Brie is caught up in a web of lies and deceit with no one to trust.

An incredible jaw-dropping ending that I didn't see coming explodes in the final chapters that will have readers clamoring for the next book 

The conclusion to the story, These Twisted Bonds, is out on July 19, 2022.

Visit Lexi Ryan’s website.

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black (The Folk of the Air book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, The Cruel Prince and The Wicked King, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first two books.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher of the first two books.

“He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.

Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.

Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.

Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.

And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity…” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book and the ending of the trilogy was absolutely perfect!! I really don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I am going to keep this short. Breathtaking and heart pounding with the action never slowing down. And that was an incredible epilogue. I hate to leave these characters behind.

Visit Holly Black’s website.

The Wicked King by Holly Black (The Folk of the Air book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Cruel Prince, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first book.

“You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Five months have passed since the surprising betrayal and upheaval that occurred at the end of The Cruel Prince, Our girl Jude has placed herself in a precarious situation where she can trust very few. When Carden begins to take his role seriously and someone close to Jude double-crosses her, control slips from her grasp.

Holly Black’s Folk of the Fair Air trilogy is definitely not lacking. In fact, after enjoying the first book tremendously, I can honestly say this book is even better. Readers, be prepared. The ending is killer!

The finale to Jude’s story, The Queen of Nothing, is expected in 2020. 

Visit Holly Black’s website.

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass book 7)

SPOILER ALERT! This is the FINAL book in the series. Stop if you don’t want to ruin my favorite book series for you.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher on the series.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher on the series.

“Throne of Glass series draws to an epic, unforgettable conclusion. Aelin Galathynius’s journey from slave to king’s assassin to the queen of a once-great kingdom reaches its heart-rending finale as war erupts across her world. . .

Aelin has risked everything to save her people―but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…

With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they’ve gathered to battle Erawan’s hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation―and a better world.

And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen―before she is lost to him forever.

As the threads of fate weave together, at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.” - taken from Goodreads.com

An amazing ending to my absolute favorite series. I discovered Throne of Glass as an arc about a month before it was published in the summer of 2012. I immediately fell in love with Celaena Sardothien and could not get her out of my mind. Luckily Ms. Maas was also beginning to end individually publish Celaena’s backstory that's found in The Assassin's Blade and I devoured each novella as it was published. For me, Kingdom of Ash was absolute perfection in how a series should end. At just under a thousand pages, I read the last 500 and under 24 hours. I was unable to put the book down. Sadly I'm going to miss Aelin and her friends. I still consider this to be my absolute favorite book series of all time. 

Visit Sarah J. Maas’ website.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (The Folk of the Air book 1)

“Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I haven't picked up a Holly Black book since I finished The Curse Workers trilogy. I don't know why I didn't pick up/listen to The Cruel Prince sooner. This book is fantastic and I enjoyed it even more than Black’s Modern Faerie Tales, a series that I loved. Jude is a mortal living in the Fae world with her identical twin sister. They were brought to Fae with their half-sister, whose father is the Fae King’s General. He killed her parents in front of her because the two of them left Fae behind and took a few secrets along. 

All Jude wants is to be a member of Fae society. She is willing to do almost anything to be accepted. Jude makes an alliance but she quickly finds herself in a dangerous world of deceit where her life is on the line. Without giving away too much, the twists and turns of the ending set up the action for the second book, The Wicked King, due out January 8, 2019.

Visit Holly Black’s website.

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

“Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized among them. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. There's only one way to save both their lives, Isobel must drink from the Green Well, whose water will transform her into a fair one—at the cost of her Craft, for immortality is as stagnant as it is timeless.

Isobel has a choice: she can sacrifice her art for a future, or arm herself with paint and canvas against the ancient power of the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I don’t think that I would have necessarily picked up this book if it hadn’t been sent to me in a subscription box I receive. I loved Isobel’s story. She is a tenacious heroine who stands by her convictions in the face of death. The slow burn romance was also a treat. I loved how the story flowed and you never really guessed exactly how it was going to end. With surprises along the way, readers will race to finish this stand-alone novel.

Visit Margaret Rogerson’s website.

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fery - Call of the Forgotten book one)

“Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.”

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read The Iron Fey series, Stop! You will be lost in Ethan’s story if you don’t know his sister Meghan’s. For fans of the series, you will be delighted to catch up on some favorite characters.

Twelve years have passed since Meghan Chase became the Iron Queen and her duties have prevented her from seeing her mortal family. Her younger brother Ethan is now seventeen and misses his older sister. He attempts to avoid the Good Neighbors at all costs. Once they realize he has Sight, the fey pester and cause major problems for him. The Chase family left the pig farm behind for a more populated area in an attempt to avoid detection, unfortunately, Ethan is never able to stay at any school for any length of time because of his run-ins with faeries have labeled him a troublemaker. His only outlet is kali, a Filipino fighting style using knives and sticks that he studies in order to defend himself from faery attacks.

Hoping to make a fresh start at another new school to make his mother happy, Ethan runs into trouble before the day is finished. First, he attracts the attention of a beautiful girl, Kenzie St. James. She is relentless even when Ethan is downright rude to her. Then he encounters the football quarterback bullying a student in the hallway who happens to be half fey. Against his better judgment, he helps out Todd and ends up in an altercation. Todd realizes that Ethan knows his true identity and is blamed by the principal for the fight based on his reputation. Kenzie is unmerciful in her pursuit to talk with Ethan. When he discovers that is a reporter for the school newspaper and not a cheerleader, he is shocked and intrigued. Soon she has him roped into an interview about being the new student.

Todd shows up at Ethan’s door that night. He is in trouble with the faeries and needs help. Ethan reluctantly agrees to help if Todd agrees to leave him alone. They spend all night going over everything that Ethan knows. The next day Ethan goes to the library after school to meet up with Kenzie and realizes that a faery is following him, not wanting to drag his friends into his mess. He bypasses the library and goes out behind the football field. There, a faery unlike any his has ever seen reveal themselves and warns Ethan not to interfere with what will happen. Don’t involve the Iron Court and his family will remain safe. He asks what it is and the faery replies that they are nothing, they are the forgotten. Ethan is not to interfere with their return or else. It throws down a pixie that dies as he watches. The faery ponders that they half breed may be stronger and leaves. Suddenly Kenzie appears and apparently has overheard the conversation. She took notes and wants to know who he was talking to. Blowing her off, he races to look Todd. He finds his discarded jacket by an open library window and a note. It says that he is running, for his parents not to worry and sorry for dragging Ethan into this mess. He talks Kenzie into not going to the authorities right away.

Knowing Todd is in trouble, Ethan realizes that the only way to help him is to contact his sister. He pulls out an old letter from Meghan. Inside is a token with directions on how to travel to the Nevernever. He pockets it and sneaks out to visit a neighborhood park. Finding only a solitary dryad, she tells Ethan that things are bad. He must visit the Iron Queen to inform her of their plight. Ethan doesn’t want to get involved; he is just looking for information about Todd. The dryad will have answers the next night, the night of his kali demonstration. He gets the suspicion he won’t see her again.

The day of the demonstration, the police question Ethan about Todd’s disappearance. He doesn’t let on about what he knows and his mother is disappointed he has become involved with the fey once again. Angry, his thoughts continue to stray to Kenzie. He decides to leave for the demonstration early and takes Meghan’s token with him. Ethan arrives and finds put that he will get to do the live weapons demo. He is thrilled but runs into Kenzie who is there for the school paper. Ethan’s demo is flawless and Kenzie is impressed. They begin talking and soon she asks if he believes in faeries. He tries to play it off but Kenzie isn’t buying it. She tells him that she is only trying to help.

Ethan tells her no one can help him and he doesn’t want to involve her. Leave him alone and suddenly the forgotten fey make themselves known. He grabs Kenzie and runs. Not being able to see Them, she doesn’t know what is going on. With no way to escape, Ethan decides to use Meghan’s token and ends up taking Kenzie with him. Once in the Nevernever, they find themselves in a cave with Grimalkin. He says that he wondered when Ethan Chase would finally show up.

Who are the Forgotten? What happened to Todd? Will Kenzie be able to accept the truth about faeries and the Nevernever? Can Ethan put his hostility towards Meghan aside and help save the half breeds and exiles in the mortal world? What happens while Ethan and Kenzie are in the Nevernever and who do they meet? Will trust and romance bloom? Will it ever be safe for the two of them to return to the mortal world?

Book two (Book six of the Iron Fey) of the Call of the Forgotten, The Traitor Son, is due out in 2013.

Visit Julie Kagawa’s website.