Iselia “Seelie” Graygrove looks just like her twin, Isolde…but as an autistic changeling left in the human world by the fae as an infant, she has always known she is different. Seelie’s unpredictable magic makes it hard for her to fit in—and draws her and Isolde into the hunt for a fabled treasure. In a heist gone wrong, the sisters make some unexpected allies and find themselves unraveling a mystery that has its roots in the history of humans and fae alike.
Plot
This was a great book to start my new year with! While there are some amazing elements of the characters and setting (I’ll get to those in a moment), I couldn’t help but be immediately drawn in by the plot. It starts off quickly and with enough questions and mystery right out of the gate to pique my interest without making me feel confused. The author does a great job weaving backstory details into the flow of storytelling. Even after the excitement of the beginning of the novel, the pacing stays high-paced and attention-grabbing until the end.
Characters
Seelie as a protagonist is a character I feel like many veteran YA Fantasy readers have been waiting to see, or at the very least I have. She’s smart but not arrogant and her status as both autistic and a changeling gives her plenty of flaws and obstacles or overcome throughout the story. And her twin sister Isolde plays an excellent foil while still being dynamic and well rounded.
Setting
In my free time, I’ve been reading lots of stories involving Fae and similar magical worlds/creatures. I appreciated that the author leaned into some of the staples of the genre as it give the reader more time to get acquainted with the unique protagonist of the story instead. But this is one of the first books in this genre I’ve seen that specifically explores changelings and what their life in a world among humans would look like. The way the author weaves this into the way autism is perceived in our modern-day society was one of the elements of the novel that intrigued me the most.
My Recommendation
Unseelie is author Ivelisse Housman’s debut novel the first book in her duology. The plot is well-written and perfectly paced to keep the reader’s attention. But the plot is far outshone by the protagonist Seelie and her twin sister Isolde, both of whom are dynamic in their own ways and unique characters in this genre. I especially appreciated the new lens this book shines on familiar tropes in the Faerie Fantasy genre. I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
