Borderline
Mishell Baker
This was a pretty enjoyable weird fantasy read. I read about it in the Lightspeed Magazine book review. The book is set in modern-day LA, and revolves around the crossover of “fey” (fairy) spirits into our world, where they more or less serve as muses for creative types. The protagonist is sort of semi-willingly brought into the covert organization that manages the relationship between the two worlds, and gets drawn into a mystery relating to some of the key players. Some of the description of the rather alien fey creatures is quite inventive, and I especially liked the character of Caryl, who was kidnapped as a child by some of the dark fey creatures and as a result has sort of grim magical powers that she uses in the service of good. (I want to play a D&D character modeled after her.) I didn’t find the plot all that engaging, though, and the theme of “bunch of misfits who work together to save the day” is a bit heavy-handed. The main character’s disability (no legs due to a failed suicide attempt) is mostly handled pretty well, I thought, and I appreciated the author’s putting her in the protagonist’s role.