My Review: A deliciously dark faery tale fantasy about the fate of two devoted sisters in the deadly Realm of Never Moon. There is another book, Nettle, set in the same world and the characters from that cross over with this one but you don’t have to have read it first to enjoy this story. One of the sisters relies on her storytelling to save her life and the stories she tells (and the songs based on these stories that her sister sings) weave through the main narrative and bring an extra layer of world building and melancholy. It’s beautifully written and has many twists to it, like all good fairy tales. Atmospheric and richly imagined. Perfect reading for darkening autumn evenings.

Suggested For: 12+ readers who enjoy dark and beautiful tales of faery and courtly intrigue

If You Like This You Might Enjoy: Cuckoo Song or The Unraveller by Francis Hardinge, Reckless by Cornelia Funke (series), Whispering Hollow by Rachel Burge, 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison (series), Girls by Annet Schaap, The Moss by Lisa Lueddicke (YA), Where The Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek (YA)

Blurb: A dark, captivating 12+/YA tale of deception and survival, set in the Realm of Never Moon where faeries live in fear of the Owl King, for fans of Holly Black’s The Folk of the Air series and Twin Crowns.

Welcome to a world of glittering courts, dangerous bargains and dazzling trickery.

Long ago, kings and queens of the faery realms exchanged talismans with one another to maintain harmony in their world. The Stag King gave up a shard of antler, the Owl King a feather, the Minnow Queen a shimmering, silver scale. But the Owl King has grown restless, and his kingdom has become dangerous as he feeds off the magic of others. Always he hunts for a new bride to sustain him.

When devoted sisters, Ilsette and Lyla, are summoned to court, the Owl King’s eye soon falls on the beautiful Lyla. Determined to save her sister from a terrible fate, Ilsette sets out on a quest to find the prized feather and change the balance of power.

Lyla bewitches the king with her stories, but time is running out. Meanwhile, Ilsette’s search leads her to a realm with two moons and scarlet stars. Here she must trick King Locryn into revealing the feather’s secret whereabouts, so that she can steal it. She’s befriended by a strange magpie and two shadow faeries, but all the while, she faces an impossible truth – to save her sister, she must destroy peace among the realms.

Thanks to Zephyr for the review copy via NetGalley.