The third novel in Atwater’s regency faerie tale trilogy is a sweet and sapphic delight perfect for Pride.
We had first met young Abigail in the novel Half A Soul– she is the adopted daughter of the Lord Sorcier Elias Wilder and his wife Theodora. The workhouse child has now grown into a mostly proper young lady who just wants to use her unusual magic. She sees the perfect opportunity to investigate the sudden deaths of several of her aristocratic peers. The most likely suspect is a dark lord of faerie, Lord Longshadow and his sluagh. Abigail is soon hot on the trail, helped by her ghostly brother Hugh and an unlikely new ally in the mysterious Mercy. Mercy is apparently a self taught magician and possibly trustworthy… if only Abigail didn’t get so weak in the knees every time they’re together.
I really hope this is not the last time Atwater writes a novel set in this Regency timeline. This one felt as if it covered several genres. There is a strong coming of age aspect in Abigail wanting to begin using her magic as her father does, though he still wants to protect her. I think Abigail is similar in age to Dora and Effie in their books but she feels a bit younger and more unsure of herself and what she wants. This theme of figuring herself out also carries over into the romance. What is it that she wants from Mercy and does Mercy want the same? It’s very sweet to follow along with her revelations. Then finally I found the mystery very satisfying. We begin at ‘a dark faerie is murdering young ladies’ and follow the clues along with the girls to somewhere completely different. As always it was nice to see the characters from the first two books drop in.
Mr. Hayes is the bestest little scarecrow who deserves his own adventures, perhaps a graphic novel where he menaces the shape-shifting crows of faerie. I’d read it!