This is a wonderful book in multiple respects, but perhaps most impressive is the brilliant world-building, complete with several fascinating species, and complex yet comprehensible galactic politics.
The far-future galactic civilization is strikingly original, and humanity’s place in it is compelling. A close second to the world-building: the fabulous, three-dimensional characters.
As much as I enjoyed the second trilogy in this series, I would have loved to see this book’s characters return.
This book is included as much as a representative of a fantastic set of series as for its own sake.
M.C.A. Hogarth’s expansive Peltedverse has terrific world-building and compelling characters. The character arcs, in particular, show Hogarth’s belief in the possibility of redemption, as well as its challenges.
While one could start with this book, there are others, Mindtouch, Earthrise,andEven the Wingless, that would make better entry points into the Peltedverse.
Holmberg has an admirable—I could almost say “uncanny”— gift for combining whimsy and darkness, menace and hope. This book’s highly imaginative settings, characters, and situations delighted me. It also has an increasingly suspenseful plot.
My fondness for the two main characters grew as their fondness for each other did the same. I might want to read a sequel, except that this book’s plot, characters, and character arcs work so well together that it’s hard to imagine a sequel matching it.
A house of haunted history and ill temper. Make yourself at home in this beguiling novel of love, magic, and danger by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.
Rhode Island, 1846. Estranged from his family, writer Merritt Fernsby is surprised when he inherits a remote estate in the Narragansett Bay. Though the property has been uninhabited for more than a century, Merritt is ready to call it home-until he realizes he has no choice. With its doors slamming shut and locking behind him, Whimbrel House is not about to let Merritt leave. Ever.
The wondrous realms the Fair Folk inhabit offer tempting opportunities for mortals hoping to benefit from faerie magic. But making bargains with the Fair Folk is a dangerous business: the fae have a habit of leaving loopholes to snare the unwary. Father-daughter lawyers Abe and Adira have made a career out of helping humans reach such agreements safely.
Abe and Adira know the rules for dealing with Fair Folk: don't reveal your true name, don't say thank you, don't accept gifts, don't eat fae food, don't tell even the slightest of lies...and always, no matter the provocation, be unfailingly polite.
A moment of carelessness, a brief lapse, and a professional defender of mortal interests may be in dire need of rescue.
