Review: Rebel Fay

Rebel Fay is the fifth book in The Noble Dead series. Had I realized it was the fifth book in a series where I had not read the first four, I might not have read this book. However, although it is the end of a series with a second series to follow, it was a quite entertaining and enjoyable book.

Rebel Fay is the story of Leesil (half human-half elf), Magiere (half-vampire), Chap (a Fay wolf) and Wynn, a human sage that can communicate with Chap. This is the story of the journey through Elven Territories to try to free Leesil’s mother who has been imprisoned by the elves as a traitor to her kind. The Elven Territories are beautiful lush forests that do not tolerate humans normally and most humans who enter these territories have never been known to be able to escape them. The description of the forest is quite vivid to where one can nearly picture it in your mind along with the rejection each feels from the elves they encounter on their journey.

The Fay have a connection with the forest that humans do not. And with the forest and elf rejection of humans, they easily become disoriented if not accompanied by a guide of Fay blood that can get them through the forest. The Most Aged Father, who is the oldest elf still alive in the Elven territories, sends a guide and grants this group Guardianship to his lands for his own purposes to use Leesil. The Most Aged Father fears humans and believes that they will war against the elves in the future and has little tolerance for them. He is also the one responsible for the imprisonment of Leesil’s mother and tries to manipulate Leesil to his own purposes with the promise of her release although he has no intention of ever releasing her.

The group, with the exception of Wynn, are all warriors and not ones to be easily manipulated. The elves and Most Aged Father are in for a surprise if they think they are going to easily manipulate any of them. Leesil and Magiere were each born for a certain purpose although at this point in the series, it is unclear to them what that purpose is and without this knowledge both Most Aged Father and elves that he would deem as traitors try to bend them to their own purposes.

Although I did enjoy this book and liked it very much, it is an example of why I rarely read fantasy, as so many are series and I hate finishing a book that seems to have no real ending. I would like to go back and read the series from the beginning as there are many references in Rebel Fay to past characters and events. Rebel Fay has an ending of sorts as it is an ending to this adventure in the lives of the characters but not a complete resolution and leaves one hanging for the next book. I would suggest to other readers that the begin with the start of the series rather than with book five as I did.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Gina Metz - RAM

Book Review: Rebel Fay