If you are looking for a new twist on the world of Fairy and would like to get your first taste for free on your e-reader A Dark Faerie Tale by Alexia Purdy is a safe bet. Right now, her first book in her six book series, Ever Shade, is free at Amazon. The prequel, Evangeline, is also currently free!
Shade is a typical teenage girl, except for one thing: she hears voices. These voices ultimately lead her to discover the land of fairy. Deep in the forest, behind her backyard is the land of Fae. She soon discovers that she is half Fae herself, and that she and she alone can carry out a mission that will help save the good Seelie Faerie Court from the dark Unseelie Court.
What I really liked about this book was the many twists on different fairy races. They come in different shapes, sizes, and colors, but they also have various unique traits. The Changelings can change themselves to look like anything they want, which has endless possibilities, but my favorite is the Teleen who’s blue skin burn with an intensity that could kill anyone who touches them.
Although Shade is a tad whiny for my taste during their long trek, she isn’t annoyingly stupid or love struck like most teenage girls in YA stories and I really appreciated that. She has her head on straight and even though the fairy men are inexplicably attracted to her, she keeps her head in the game because she realizes this is no time for pretty boys. What a refreshing change of pace!
She has several brushes with danger and meets surprising allies along the way. I did think that the beginning was a little slow, but the author does a great job of setting things up and has a way with words that invokes great imagery. The end of the book wraps up nicely but still leaves you wanting more, so I immediately started the second book: Ever Shade, and I must say that I am enjoying the second book even more than the first.
Prequel: Evangeline ~currently FREE
Book 1: Ever Shade ~currently FREE
Book 2: Ever Fire
Book 3: Ever Winter
Book 3.5: The Cursed
Book 4: Ever Wrath