Title: Faerie Blood
Author(s):Angela Korra'ti
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Fey
Publisher/Year: Drollerie Press/2008
-Webpage/blog: Angela Korra'ti
Synopsis: Kendis Thompson of Seattle thinks she’s as normal as the next computer geek, and up till now, she’s been right. But her world is about to turn on its ear, for she is the daughter of a Seelie Court mage and her mortal husband–and her faerie blood is awakening. Suddenly the city she’s known all her life is transforming before her eyes. Trolls haunt the bike trails. Fairies and goblins run loose in the streets. An old woman who is not what she seems and a young wanderer running from his past stand ready to defend Seattle–and Kendis–from magical assault. She will need those allies, for the power rising within her is calling her fey kin to the Emerald City to find her. And kill her.

Review: Kendis is pretty close to what I'd think of as the perfect sort of friend for myself. Nerdy job, nerd-like interests, half-fae...I think we'd get along quite well. She does have this unfortunate tendency to want to ignore the reality of the situation, but I'll give her leniency for the fact her whole world just imploded. And she does rally quickly when the situation grows bad and someone needs to remain in control.

Christopher, of Newfoundland, was a bit of a hoot. I always like it when guys find it hard to resist that damsel in distress--who then has to save THEM in return. Its a good thing he's comfortable with his masculinity, he gets saved by women a lot in the novel.

It bears mentioning that Seattle, as a setting, is almost a character by itself. I've never been, but Korra'ti gives us such an insider's view of Seattle, that I felt like I had gone on a tour of 'where geeks need to go' when in Seattle. For the first time in my life I thought about traveling there (I'm really more of an East Coast girl honestly), if only to check out the Geek Haven that Kendis describes.

Despite the influx of fae related novels, Korra'ti manages to still make a shade different, a little unusual and interesting. As Kendis is a Changling, it brings about some interesting revelations, as does why everyone is suddenly so gung-ho over her. And why her eyes are yellow. And she gets tingly when not-human stuff is around/touches her/happens. There is also a vagueness about the Seelie vs. the Unseelie that appealed to me. A vagueness to their motivations is perhaps the better way of explaining it. The Fae don't come in 'good' and 'evil', they're at best amoral much of the time, with certain types preferring to make problems for mortals then others.

The story moves quickly, though sometimes it becomes bogged down in the details. I noticed it especially in the beginning, when we're being introduced to Kendis and Christopher and the fight with the troll. Its not that the details seems out of place, or thrust at the reader, but more it was almost as if Korra'ti was writing for a movie or play scene--directing the scene so that the actors know where to be. Its not annoying or anything, and I like that sort of writing because it helps me visual places I haven't been before.

According to the author's website there is a sequel in the works, but she also has a number of other projects (including the beginning of a new series), so as of yet there is no details about the sequel (beyond a tentative name 'Bone Walker'). I look forward to her other stories however!