The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
'As irresistible as a faerie bargain, this book is riveting, magical and wonderful! I absolutely adored it!' Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop
'I adored this one . . . its like cosy fantasy meets snarky fae dimplomacy, and I'm here for it' Reader review
Discover a world of enchanted contracts, faerie intrigue and French toast, in this delightful debut packed full of wit, charm, adventure and heart, with a dash of magical bureaucracy and a sprinkling of romance.
When Poppy Hill was a child, she was stolen from her family's Montana homestead and taken 'Otherside' to the land of the Fae, where she spent more than a century as a cook in the Wild King's castle. Now back in the human world, she works for a company that brokers faerie bargains, checking for loopholes in their contracts.
But when a bargain that Poppy is negotiating goes disastrously wrong, she must return to the world she grew up in to try to rectify her mistake, facing danger, intrigue and a pesky ex-boyfriend along the way.
'There is simply not enough time or space for me to say everything I loved about this book. This had Holly Black-level Fae, T. Kingfisher-level plotting, and Naomi Novik-level wit. It was as if Heather Fawcett and Holly Black had a book baby with the perfect blend of contemporary and high fantasy . . . what a breath of fresh air'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review
'Unforgettable and utterly addictive'
Lyra Selene, author of A Feather so Black
'The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains is as funny and witty as it is enchanting. Poppy Hill is a first-class heroine - full of sharp edges and quiet resolve - and her journeys through modern bureaucracy and fantastical Fae courts alike are utterly enthralling'
Julie Leong, author of The Teller of Small Fortunes
'A charming and warm-hearted tale of family and friendship with a plot as twisty as a faerie bargain'
M. Stevenson, author of Behooved
'The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains snatches you away into a world of enchanted contracts, faerie intrigue and French toast that you'll never want to come back from'
Molly O'Neill, author of Greenteeth
'A brilliant, tongue-in-cheek weaving of folklore and the hell of modern bureaucracy, combined with a twisty adventure and a dash of romance . . . A book that I was reluctant to close at the end. McCarty is a talent!'
Brigitte Knightley, author of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy
'Five stars without hesitation. I'm always searching for books that capture the same magic I find in Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde or Holly Black's Folk of the Air, and The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains absolutely delivered. To sum it up: This modern faerie novel is utterly captivating and stands out from the usual stereotypes with its distinctive storytelling, memorable characters and engaging plot. Brilliant!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
McCarty's elegant and melancholy fantasy debut follows Poppy Hill, who in 1880, at the age of five, was abducted by faeries and taken to their world, called Otherside, where she grew up and became a cook for the Wild King. She was then returned to the human world in the modern day as a woman in her late 20s. Poppy now works as a consultant for the Montana branch of law firm Carter Lane, which negotiates contracts between humans who want extraordinary abilities and Otherside agents, who grant them—for a price. Her specialty is scrutinizing contracts for loopholes that Otherside can exploit. The plot kicks into gear when Poppy botches a case involving German anthropologist Gabriele Albrecht, who wants to trade her sense of taste for the ability to speak every human language, not catching a loophole that results in Gabriele being bound to serve seven years in Otherside. Now Poppy must return to Otherside to rescue Gabriele, risking her safety, her job, and her friends in both worlds. This desperate quest leads her into negotiations with her former lover, Elan, and a plot to depose a king. Wistful and witty with exquisite worldbuilding, McCarty's sprawling epic challenges notions of identity, loyalty, and the places one calls home. It's a thrilling start.
