The Vanishing Throne

April 1, 2016
Debutante-turned-savage fae-killer Aileana might finally get it on with her faery lover in this revelation-rich middle volume. Though May cranks up the steam with a mix of increasingly passionate snogging and coyly interrupted words ("I'm quite fond of fu-"), it's the gushes of blood and violence that keep her tale sliding along. With help from new ally Aithinne, smoldering fae Kiaran's half-mad twin sister, Aileana escapes from her vampiric baobhan sith captor, Lonnrach, and fights her way across now-ruined Scotland to join her human friends in hiding. Amid gore-spattered attacks, chases, and torture (someone is always bleeding), revelations about her lover's dark past and encounters with the dying Cailleach, oldest fae of all, lead up to what would seem to be a decisive victory for Lonnrach and his monstrous hordes. But wait! There's still a certain ancient lost book that might save the day. Though not as obviously derivative here as with trilogy opener Falconer (2014), the author continues to plug in familiar teen-fantasy tropes as she sets up a coming desperate struggle for the survival of both the fae and mundane realms. Thank goodness the scene-stealing pixie Derrick is still providing comic relief: "He left his scent all over you like piss on a tree." A helpful "Bestiary" of the hard-to-pronounce fae cast is appended. Dark, heavy, comfortably familiar reading for nonventuresome fans of the genre. (Fantasy. 13-17)

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June 1, 2016

Gr 8 Up-In The Falconer, 19th-century Edinburgh debutante Aileana Kameron discovered that she is the last Falconer, a line of women warriors with the ability to defeat fae. In this installment, which picks up where the previous volume ended, Aileana, after failing to prevent the destruction of Edinburgh, is trapped in what was once the Unseelie Kingdom with the vicious Lonnrach, who tortures her physically and psychologically. After being gone for the equivalent of three human years, Aileana returns to find the world a very different place, with her human and fae friends-among the few survivors-hardened by the destruction they witnessed. Throughout the novel, the young woman copes with the guilt and shame of letting her friends down and of being forced into the role of a helpless victim. After Aileana purposely survives death so she can come back with the gift of sight, this entry ends with her being reborn with the power of Kiaran and Aithinne's mother, The Cailleach, the queen of the fae. This work combines vivid world-building with action-packed fight sequences and does a better job than the first volume of pulling readers in from the beginning. Aileana is a strong heroine, and, as such, her struggle to avoid being a victim following her captivity with Lonnrach is believable and compelling. Kiaran and Aileana's romance progresses in a predictable way, but that does not make it any less enjoyable. Fans will eagerly await the trilogy's conclusion. VERDICT Purchase where the first volume is popular.-Marissa Lieberman, East Orange Public Library, NJ

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