Publisher Description
The start of a swoony, high-energy duology that Emily Lloyd-Jones, author of The Bone Houses, calls “reminiscent of classic fairytales yet brimming with a charm all its own.”
“A world of glimmering fae that sparkles with mystery, adventure, and enchantment.” —Andrew Joseph White, New York Times bestselling author of Hell Followed with Us
Iselia “Seelie” Graygrove looks just like her twin, Isolde…but as an autistic changeling left in the human world by the fae as an infant, she has always known she is different. Seelie’s unpredictable magic makes it hard for her to fit in—and draws her and Isolde into the hunt for a fabled treasure. In a heist gone wrong, the sisters make some unexpected allies and find themselves unraveling a mystery that has its roots in the history of humans and fae alike.
Both sisters soon discover that the secrets of the faeries may be more valuable than any pile of gold and jewels. But can Seelie harness her magic in time to protect her sister and herself?
“Housman’s stunning debut is the sort of love letter only an autistic author could write. Fae canon has been waiting for this one.” —H.E. Edgmon, author of The Witch King
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Seventeen-year-old twin sisters search for truth and treasure in Housman's beguiling debut, a fae-inspired fantasy series opener. Autistic changeling Iselia "Seelie" Graygrove and her identical twin sister Isolde, who both have olive skin, have survived on the streets by grifting and stealing ever since they were forced to leave home for their parents' safety ("They aren't safe when I'm around," Seelie says). While robbing Wildline Manor, home to a family of powerful enchanters, Seelie finds a magical compass that seeps into her skin as a tattoo, pointing the way to a mysterious treasure. The sisters reluctantly team up with shape-shifter Raze and healer Olani to seek out and split the treasure, while the compass's owner relentlessly pursues them. As their journey takes them across a danger-filled land and through the realms of Faerie, the quartet slowly bonds, and Seelie learns to wield the magic she's always tried to suppress while managing heightening anxiety surrounding increasingly dangerous encounters. Housman spins an imaginative tale that's part heist and part quest, set against a fanciful backdrop of magic and mystery peopled by characters whose genuine chemistry and varyingly antagonistic personalities conjure a sweet found-family dynamic. Ages 13–up.
