From the author of Chasing Fae:
Grace Richardson is a young mortal woman whose only concerns are providing for her family, playing her violin, and spending as much time as possible with her brother, Leo. When Leo goes into service in the Fae’s world as a mercenary, she expects him to return with the honor that he deserves.
When Leo suddenly dies in an unspecified accident, not a word, medal, or penny comes down from the higher-ups. Suspecting foul play, Grace disguises herself as a Fae and sneaks into the Upper Realm to get some answers. She anticipates being in way over her head, but the Fae soldier who discovers her true identity only a day in? Not so much.
Now Grace is forced to drag Aiden along as she tries to work out exactly how and why her brother died. Along the way, she has no choice but to confront her prejudices against the Fae as she attempts to sort out the difference between the honest and the dishonest. Political conspiracies, demon realm escapades, and family secrets will all lead Grace to the answers she’s looking for…and some that she isn’t.
Quick note: When I first opened Chasing Fae, I saw maps, which made me happy. Fantasy books should have maps if they possibly can. Anyway, on to the review…
Chasing Fae takes place in three realms. The Middle Realm is very much like the real world, but the Upper Realm and the Lower Realm are places of mystery and intrigue for the main character Grace, who sets out on a journey to find answers about the death of her brother. The bond between Grace and Leo was sweet, and their closeness gave Grace an excellent reason to embark upon her perilous quest.
Most of the time, Grace acts like a confident young woman, but I think this is just a way for her to deny her vulnerability. She occasionally has fits of panic and needs to be reassured, and she is quick to lose her temper when she is reminded of Leo’s death. This makes her somewhat unstable, which I thought made her both relatable and interesting. I can’t stand heroines who are invincible! The whole time I was reading, I was afraid she was going to get herself into a serious predicament. Fortunately, she had Aiden to help her out. I wasn’t sure what motivated him to go along with her at first, but the evolution of their relationship throughout the story was satisfying to see. They’re both likable characters, although they can be obnoxious at times (especially Aiden)!
I wasn’t expecting the plot to be so complicated at first, and I enjoyed seeing it unfold. The story is fast-paced, and there are a lot of exciting moments. Grace begins her journey prepared to fight, as you can see from her picture on the book cover, but her survival ultimately depends more on her cleverness and her ability to connect with the people who cross her path. This becomes more and more obvious as the story progresses and she discovers the truth about the three realms and her own place in them.
Ultimately, Chasing Fae is a surprising book. The ending was completely unexpected and provides so many possibilities for the sequel! I like Grace as a character, and the universe of the Upper, Middle, and Lower realms is full of secrets. The only thing that gave me pause about this book was some of the profanity. I felt like it didn’t add much to the dialogue, and in a story that would be fantastic for younger teens, it really could be problematic. I would recommend this book to older teens. It’s a great beginning for the series, and I suspect Grace will have many more adventures.
FTC Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book reviewed above.
From the time she was a child of eleven writing her first novel between classes, Cady Hammer explored her world through her imagination. She was often teased for being in her own world, but never hesitated to invite others along on the adventure. As she grew older, Cady’s studies in history and anthropology set the stage for the detailed world building that lets readers step into the story. Her stories explore the complexities of relationships crafted around the idea that love, friendship, and grief are all interwoven. Cady runs the internationally-read website, Fluff About Fantasy, a place for young writers to learn the genre-specific craft of writing fantasy and be inspired by what they can accomplish. Find out more at https://www.cadyhammer.com/.
You can also connect with Cady on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Author photograph by Stephanie Dribus
Thank you for visiting my blog!
I invite you to subscribe to my email list! I would be delighted to send you a free copy of my new short story Help Me, a bittersweet medical drama set in the early 1970s. Synopsis: The year is 1972. Fourteen-year-old Agnes has just been diagnosed with a brain tumor. She has no treatment options until Peterson, a brilliant scientist, offers to give her an experimental drug. Agnes is counting on him to save her life, but he has other ideas.
Help Me is the prequel to the Silvertree Series, now available on Amazon!
