In book one, we meet Serena. Long & lanky, different from the other girls in the village, Serena is a pretty classic Cinderella, complete with dead dad and wicked stepmother. Who, when her plan to sell her stepdaughter’s virginity to the local smith’s apprentice falls through, sets her up for a trial as a changeling.
As one does, I guess?
When found guilty-ish, Serena is set out in a cage overnight in the forest. The theory is, if she’s a changeling, the fae will come for her, and take her home. If she’s not, the fae will just take her – rendering the other village children safe. Classy home town you’ve got here, Serena.
Thus begin Serena’s adventures in FaeLand. She’s sold to the army, which is constantly at war under an evil queen who is trying to maintain and expand her territory.
It’s all really well-wrought, with a larger mythology slowly parcelled out. Not exposition-heavy, but still richly detailed.
Serena spends the first book as a fish out of water, constantly confounding the fae who underestimate her. There’s a love story in there, sort of, but there’s enough of a power imbalance between them that I was pretty uncomfortable with it, honestly.
Most interesting here are the trials, where Serena and a team of scrappy outcasts (of course!) really bond as a questing unit. They grow together and bond in a way that’s going to be important going forward in the series. The trials also give the novel a chance to organically grow the world around Serena.
Throughout, a pendant handed down to Serena from her mother has been whispering to her (creepily), which becomes important for Plot Reasons I won’t spoil here. As we work through the second book, Serena and the team are growing into themselves and their powers, on an ongoing quest to, of course, save the world from aforementioned Evil Queen.
The first book is exceptional, I smashed through it really quickly. The second is slower-going, with more questing and some splitting up of the gang – necessary, but dynamic changing. I’m looking forward to the series continuing, and recommend this for Young Adults (and their grown up Aunts, of course).