Michael Barnes
Blend of Classic Historical Fiction (specifically Dickens’ A tale of Two Cities) and Fantasy of the Fae variety. Early in the novel our protagonist Sydney Carton declares "It was the Year of Our Lord 1780. It was a cold grey March morning; I was a cold, grey legal advocate, twenty-five years old and not yet dead. I feared this was the best of times; I hoped it could not get any worse".
Plenty of characters from A tale of Two Cities some with significant changes and with all the excitement of the French Revolution and throughout this are fairies. They’re the typical narcissist characters caring only for themselves, their agenda, and amassing power while toying with human lives. As in some of the old tales human children are spirited away to The Realm, with changelings left in their place, and upon reaching a certain age they have a choice: stay in The Realm and have your memories of humanity erased, becoming an unfeeling, probably devious fairy and continuing the cycle, or be placed in the mortal world and become a mortal servant, doomed to do any fairy’s bidding.
The story ends with a bittersweet but noble resolution, how could it not with a title 'A Far Better Thing' given that speech. It’s a standalone story so if you don't want the commitment of a new series then I would recommend this book.
Blend of Classic Historical Fiction (specifically Dickens’ A tale of Two Cities) and Fantasy of the Fae variety. Early in the novel our protagonist Sydney Carton declares "It was the Year of Our Lord 1780. It was a cold grey March morning; I was a cold, grey legal advocate, twenty-five years old and not yet dead. I feared this was the best of times; I hoped it could not get any worse".
Plenty of characters from A tale of Two Cities some with significant changes and with all the excitement of the French Revolution and throughout this are fairies. They’re the typical narcissist characters caring only for themselves, their agenda, and amassing power while toying with human lives. As in some of the old tales human children are spirited away to The Realm, with changelings left in their place, and upon reaching a certain age they have a choice: stay in The Realm and have your memories of humanity erased, becoming an unfeeling, probably devious fairy and continuing the cycle, or be placed in the mortal world and become a mortal servant, doomed to do any fairy’s bidding.
The story ends with a bittersweet but noble resolution, how could it not with a title 'A Far Better Thing' given that speech. It’s a standalone story so if you don't want the commitment of a new series then I would recommend this book.