This dark sequel to Tithe (2002) reveals the corruption in even the beautiful parts of faerie. Punky changeling Kaye has just been dumped most brutally. At the coronation of her boyfriend, Roiben, to the throne of the unsavory Unseelie Court, Kaye is goaded by a malicious faery into declaring her love - and Roiben sends her off on an impossible quest. Until she finds a faery who can lie, Kaye is forbidden from seeing Roiben. Heartbroken, Kaye and her friend Corny travel to New York City, where they are entangled in the Seelie Queen's machinations to destroy Roiben and take his land for herself. Kaye's story is standard teen magical-romance fare, but it's Corny's compelling sideplot that really carries the narrative, providing emotional depth, character development and a poignant conclusion. Decadent and deadly, the urban fantasy setting is not for the faint of heart; the cruelties of even the so-called good faeries are breathtaking. Fans of faerypunk will eat it up. (Fantasy. YA) (Kirkus Reviews)
Description:
From Booklist
Finding your place in the world is no picnic at the best of times, but pixie changeling Kaye finds it tougher than most. And no wonder: her boyfriend has been crowned king of the Unseelie Court and her best friend suffers from a faery's curse. In this follow-up to Black's previous two books about the urban fey, Kaye and her gay friend Corny (from Tithe, 2003) meet brothers Luis and Dave (from Valiant, 2005), and the teens are caught in the middle of a clash between the rival faery courts. As characters struggle to shape their identities, quintessential coming-of-age themes are as skillfully interwoven as in the earlier adventures, as are seductive contradictions: faeries who cannot lie nonetheless find ways to connive and betray, loyalty and love are wielded as weapons, and ethereal beauty often masks cruelty of the ugliest sort. The chilling game of wits culminates in a satisfying conclusion to this dark, edgy fantasy, a must-purchase for Black's many devoted fans. Rutan, Lynn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
This dark sequel to Tithe (2002) reveals the corruption in even the beautiful parts of faerie. Punky changeling Kaye has just been dumped most brutally. At the coronation of her boyfriend, Roiben, to the throne of the unsavory Unseelie Court, Kaye is goaded by a malicious faery into declaring her love - and Roiben sends her off on an impossible quest. Until she finds a faery who can lie, Kaye is forbidden from seeing Roiben. Heartbroken, Kaye and her friend Corny travel to New York City, where they are entangled in the Seelie Queen's machinations to destroy Roiben and take his land for herself. Kaye's story is standard teen magical-romance fare, but it's Corny's compelling sideplot that really carries the narrative, providing emotional depth, character development and a poignant conclusion. Decadent and deadly, the urban fantasy setting is not for the faint of heart; the cruelties of even the so-called good faeries are breathtaking. Fans of faerypunk will eat it up. (Fantasy. YA) (Kirkus Reviews)