ARC REVIEW Unseelie (The Unseelie Duology Book 1) by Ivelisse Housman

Unseelie (The Unseelie Duology Book 1) 

by Ivelisse Housman
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: January 3, 2023
Format: eARC (Courtesy of Publisher and NetGalley) and Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Inkyard Press 

I’d been hearing a lot of hype about a new fantasy book with an autistic main character, and I knew I had to check out what everyone was talking about. Ivelisse Housman’s debut young adult fantasy novel Unseelie is filled with adventure, a strong sense of family, and great worldbuilding. 

Iselia Graygrove, or ‘Seelie’ is a young changeling who has been traveling with her human ‘twin’ sister Isolde for years. Seelie’s family loves her, but her ‘differentness’ has always made her an outcast in every village they traveled to. Once Seelie’s magic starts to become wild and out of control after a heist gone wrong, the sisters are thrust into the middle of a mystery with the potential to affect both fae and humans alike.  

It was interesting to read the author’s note explaining that the stories of changelings were thought to be an early explanation for autistic children. That really helped me relate specifically to Seelie’s character as a reader. Readers got to experience how Seelie reacted to the world differently than the other characters in the story. She has tried so hard to fit into what society considers normal, and her challenges are only compounded by her faerie heritage and her autistic mannerisms (I don’t believe the word autistim was explicitly used in the story). The others do their best, but there are multiple instances where they struggle to understand her neurodivergent experiences from their neurotypical perspectives. As a result, she’s never really fit into either world, and that weighs heavily on her over the course of the book. 

Having a sister of my own, I really connected to Isolde and Seelie’s relationship. They are incredibly close, and Isolde is fiercely protective of her sister against those who would ostracize her for being a changeling. Despite their closeness, there are the inevitable moments where they clash and get into arguments. Said moments only made me relate to them even more (what sibling relationship doesn’t have a few fights now and then?) 

The world-building is well developed. The author takes some of the most famous pieces of faerie lore, and builds that into the story to create the different realms. There’s an obvious nod to the classic fairy tales, but the world is built such that it feels fresh for both die-hard fantasy readers and those new to the genre. I appreciated the vivid and immersive imagery, and how the world was brought to life as the characters went on their travels. The pace was such that the characters kept moving fairly frequently, and that helped introduce the readers to new places and people. 

The only drawback of the book, and why I was unable to give it a full five stars, was how disjointed the plot seemed to be. I could tell you so much about the world, the characters and individual moments but things were so hectic and confusing I can’t actually tell you how those moments connect. The author completely lost me with the transitional moments of the book. The progression of the story is confusing at best, and as a reader it can be overwhelming to have so many moments where you’re not really sure whats going on. The best way I could describe it is a tangled knot of string - you never really know where pulling on one end is going to lead you. 

Overall, this was a very entertaining and insightful novel. There were some minor issues, but not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of thhe book. Elena Rey does an excellent job bringing the story to life with her performance in the audiobook narration. From what I can tell, the book is set to be part of a duology and I’m excited to (hopefully) get to see more in this world. Readers who enjoy magical fantasy tales full of fun, stellar neurodivergent rep, and unique characters should definitely give the book a chance. 

Thank you to the author, the publisher Inkyard Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review Unseelie immensely. Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way. 

REVIEW A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson

A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: March 29, 2022
Format: Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Inkyard Press

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Myra Whitlock has had a hard life. Her parents disappeared months ago, and she’s been left to take care of her ailing younger sister alone. The one thing that might make her life better never works quite right - Myra is known as a “Prodigy”, someone who can alter reality through her paintings. She can heal wounds with a stroke of her brush and remove blemishes with a dash of paint. Myra hides her abilities to ensure she is not hunted, but one day a noble discovers what she can do and commissions her to paint her dead son back to life. Things end up being much more complicated than Myra anticipated though, as a somewhat straightforward painting job (given that bringing someone back to life is never easy) becomes much more dangerous. Will she be able to unravel the mystery of what truly happened in the governor’s mansion before it’s too late?

The magic system and worldbuilding in this book are amazing. I don’t know if the author has personal experience with painting, but if they don’t they did a fantastic job with their research and making things feel real. I loved how artwork is not only the magic system in the book, but it's also part of their religion (“The Artist” is their version of a God). There were a couple of missing portions of the worldbuilding (i.e. the political system is a big question mark as is what life is like for the normal townsperson) but I don’t think those were necessary to fully enjoy the story.  

The characters were another highlight of the book. While there is definitely a romance developing between Myra and August over the course of the story, the heart of the book is the relationship between Myra and her sister Lucy. That sibling bond drives the main action of the book (and Myra’s decision to risk everything to take the commission to bring Will back to life). It also defines a lot of Myra’s feelings about her gift - despite her ability to alter certain parts of reality with her gift, it doesn’t extend far enough to cure her sister of her ailment. For me, the relationship between Lucy and Myra was the most compelling part of the character arc in the story. 

Billie Fulford-Brown did a fantastic job with the narration. Her performance added another layer of depth to the story. If you are a fan of audiobooks, I would definitely recommend checking out the audiobook version of this book. 

Altogether, A Forgery of Roses was a hauntingly beautiful cross between a darker fantasy romance and a mystery. If you enjoyed Kerri Maniscalco’s Stalking Jack the Ripper series or Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, then A Forgery of Roses will be a great choice. After finishing this book, I’m excited to go back and read Ms. Olson’s debut novel, Sing Me Forgotten, as well as anything she may publish in the future. 

About the Book

From the author of Sing Me Forgotten comes a lush new fantasy novel with art-based magic, romance, and murder...

Myra has a gift many would kidnap, blackmail, and worse to control: she's a portrait artist whose paintings alter people's bodies. Guarding that secret is the only way to keep her younger sister safe now that their parents are gone. But one frigid night, the governor's wife discovers the truth and threatens to expose Myra if she does not complete a special portrait that would resurrect the governor's dead son.

Once she arrives at the legendary stone mansion, however, it becomes clear the boy's death was no accident. A killer stalks these halls--one disturbingly obsessed with portrait magic. Desperate to get out of the manor as quickly as possible, Myra turns to the governor's older son for help completing the painting before the secret she spent her life concealing makes her the killer's next victim.

About the Author

Jessica S. Olson claims New Hampshire as her home, but has somehow found herself in Texas, where she spends most of her time singing praises to the inventor of the air conditioner. When she's not hiding from the heat, she's corralling her three wild—but adorable—children, dreaming up stories about kissing and murder and magic, and eating peanut butter by the spoonful straight from the jar. She earned a bachelor’s in English with minors in editing and French, which essentially means she spent all of her university time reading and eating French pastries. Sing Me Forgotten is her debut novel.

Jessica is represented by Christa Heschke of McIntosh & Otis Literary Agency.

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