The Manhattan Exiles: Winter

Fae lives in the tunnels of the L’Enfant Plaza station with Richard and Lolo, two human boys with particular talents, and a mouse named Gabby who was once an aes si, a knowledge-keeper for the Fair Folk, who changed form many years ago and forgot how to change back. Most of his family lives in Manhattan, exiled from the Fae Realms due to an unsuccessful rebellion against the mighty but vicious Queen Gloriana. But when a woman is sacrificed by a mortal in order to summon a young girl, Aine, from the Faerie Court to our world, and a Fae-slaying sword that once belonged to Alexander Pope is stolen, a train of events begins that might topple a Faerie Queen’s throne eventually, but will certainly do a great deal of damage to DC in the meantime.

This is an intriguing and suspenseful page-turner, with complex characters, political manipulation, magic, and a wry sense of humor. The folklore that winds through the tale is well-researched and as believable as fantasy can be. The Faerie angle is well-handled, giving them a sharp edge and a dangerous air – these are beings you might fall in love with at first sight, but wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. None of the characters are entirely as they appear on the surface and each of them have hidden depths and/or weaknesses waiting for the right moment to emerge. 

There is a war going on here, even if quietly and in exile, and we are never allowed to forget it. The plot is full of surprises, some of them rather drastic, keeping us on the edge of our seats as we wait for the resolution (which, of course, is incomplete, as this is the first in a series). The story draws the reader in irresistibly, only to leave us hanging in delicious anticipation of the sequel.

There were a few misused words that will grate on the nerves of a grammar nitpicker like myself (“loosing” for “losing” once, and several incidences of “effect” used as a verb in place of “affect”). Also, there are times when the book feels as though it’s going in too many directions at once, what with missing swords, evil creatures on the Metro, changelings, political machinations among the court-in-exile as well as schemes to get the exiles home, and so on. However, that’s fairly typical of the first book of a series, which needs to set multiple stages, and presumably future books will untangle things a bit.

This is, on the whole, a fine urban fantasy, well worth a read. If you like your Fair Folk gritty and dangerous, not cute and fluffy, and you enjoy political machinations and mental dueling, you will appreciate this book.

Reviewed by Catherine Langrehr