Isobel is an artistic prodigy with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life.
Furious, Rook spirits her away to his kingdom to stand trial for her crime. But something is seriously wrong in his world, and they are attacked from every side. With Isobel and Rook depending on each other for survival, their alliance blossoms into trust, then love—and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.
An enjoyable fairy tale with a heroine craftier than most. I liked the mythology around the fair ones (fairies) and not being able to create things, so valuing humans' Craft abilities more than anything. But being the tricksters they are, their magical payments usually go awry for the human if they weren't worded carefully enough.
Really, the only problem I had was that I didn't understand why Isobel loved Rook so much. He was handsome (when glamoured), he was polite (as all fairies were), and he saved her life a couple times. His personality didn't consist of much more than politeness and being flummoxed at human mannerisms, but again those construct most fairies' personalities. He struck me very much as an Edward (Twilight) - more an odd-acting creature, rather than an interesting person who happened to be a creature. He seemed like a nice crush, but he was never much for conversation. Meh, to each their own.
Overall I liked the world, the mythology, and Isobel was an okay protagonist. The story was very action-packed and had a few twists I didn't see coming. The romance wasn't anything special to me, but it served the story alright. Not a bad read for a couple afternoons.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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