Roses and Rot

I love stories set in modern times, with the fae living—secretly—in the local woods. It reminds me of the uncanny in real life, and the possibility of adventure.

The pleasure of this rendition of the fae-next-door is that the human realm is brought fully to life and slowly entwines with the fantastical. Also: It gradually dawned on me that the human thread of the story is a fairy tale in its own right. That really twisted my expectations.

This book is such a heartfelt tale surroundings two sisters raised by a woman who cared little of their emotional states and only of perfection in the arts. While revolving around the real world, readers are taken to a mystical realm with the protagonists as they discover magic and the fae exist. It’s the struggles we all face in life that this book touches on. As an artist I can understand the need for perfection in my art, like the characters.

Kat Howard’s novel threads so many things that I love together – sisters, reflections on making art and on the artist’s “muse,” faeries, and magical night markets. This story, a loose reimagining of Tam Lin, is set at an artists’ colony, where every seven years, the Fae living at the border of our world select the most promising artist to live among them and, in exchange, grant the artist unparalleled success when they return. But what really gripped me is how differently the two sisters of Roses and Rot consider the Fae, as well as what they’re each willing… show more.