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Courts of the Feyre #3
Strangeness and Charm
The Courts of the Feyre, Vol III
Alex has been saved from the fate that awaited her in Bedlam, but in freeing her, Niall has released others of their kind into the population. Now, as Warder, he must find them and persuade them to swap their new-found liberty for security in the courts – but is the price of sanctuary to swap one cage for another?
Alex has been saved from the fate that awaited her in Bedlam, but in freeing her, Niall has released others of their kind into the population. Now, as Warder, he must find them and persuade them to swap their new-found liberty for security in the courts – but is the price of sanctuary to swap one cage for another?
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2012
27 people are currently reading
622 people want to read
About the author
Mike Shevdon
12 books238 followersMike Shevdon lives in South Yorkshire, England, with his wife, where he pursues the various masteries of archery, technology, and cookery. His love of Fantasy & SF started in the 70s with C S Lewis, Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov and continued through Alan Garner, Ursula Le Guin and Barbara Hambly. More recent influences include Mike Carey, Phil Rickman, Neil Gaiman, and Robert Crais, among many others.
He has studied martial arts for many years, mainly aikido and archery. Friends have sometimes remarked that his pastimes always seem to involve something sharp or pointy. The pen should therefore be no surprise, though he’s still trying to figure out how to get an edge on a laptop.
He has studied martial arts for many years, mainly aikido and archery. Friends have sometimes remarked that his pastimes always seem to involve something sharp or pointy. The pen should therefore be no surprise, though he’s still trying to figure out how to get an edge on a laptop.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
August 3, 2012
2.5 stars. This one was quite disappointing. Not only didn't it fulfill my wish of exploring the mythology and fascinating world and characters that Shebdon created with this world and the Feyre courts, but Niall was just annoying in this book. He didn't do his job well, screwed up at every turn and didn't really seem to care or want to improve. He didn't seem to care about the people he set free or the danger they were in or the danger they posed to the rest of society. He didn't care about protecting the secret of his world at all, he told Katherine about Alex without even thinking about what she would do with the information, didn't even consider the consequences. Really, he didn't seem to care about anything except Alex, which I get, but he was being such a jerk about it. And when it came to making the story interesting, or not as the case may be, he didn't even use his power until p. 192 or really mention that it was void power more than briefly before then. And he barely even used it then. He was just really unlikable this time around, I couldn't root for him at all, he was just some annoying, whiny guy, he didn't relate at all to the guy in the first two books.
Plus there was so little recap of the first two books that I felt almost no connection to the charaters or the situations at all as well. I remembered Niall and Blackbird but I didn't remember much about the courts or what brought them there. And I wasn't reminded almost at all until the end. There was almost no magic in this book other than Blackbird trying to teach Niall to use a few skills better. There was no exploring of the courts or the cool mythology that Shevdon created. It was mostly about Niall not doing his job and about his runaway daughter, Alex.
The most compelling part was about Niall's daughter Alex, I appreciated the coming into her own journey, but it wasn't enough to carry the book. And Blackbird felt like a nagging wife, there was no sense of the incredible, dynamic woman I vaguely remember her to be. And then it the Big Bad was a couple of kids barely older than Alex, how did they know how to figure all of that stuff out much less pull it off? It was pretty hard to get worked up about them as the bad guys, even if they were mean to Alex, they were hardly compelling after the big mysterious bad guys I vaguely remember from the last books.
There just wasn't enough mystery, mythology, magic or tension in this one. It was mostly a story about a whiny middle-aged guy dealing with his pushy boss and his pushy wife and his wild-child daughter. There was some cool stuff at the end that wrapped the whole thing up, but it was really mostly a set-up for the next book. And now that I think about it, it revealed that this book was really just a transition between the last book and the next book, too. The whole thing was just about showing Niall fighting with his boss, revealing some prophesy, and the set-up at the end, a total transitional book. I'm really sorry to give such a rotten review to a book I was really looking forward to. I really hope the author gets back on stride for the next book.
Plus there was so little recap of the first two books that I felt almost no connection to the charaters or the situations at all as well. I remembered Niall and Blackbird but I didn't remember much about the courts or what brought them there. And I wasn't reminded almost at all until the end. There was almost no magic in this book other than Blackbird trying to teach Niall to use a few skills better. There was no exploring of the courts or the cool mythology that Shevdon created. It was mostly about Niall not doing his job and about his runaway daughter, Alex.
The most compelling part was about Niall's daughter Alex, I appreciated the coming into her own journey, but it wasn't enough to carry the book. And Blackbird felt like a nagging wife, there was no sense of the incredible, dynamic woman I vaguely remember her to be. And then it the Big Bad was a couple of kids barely older than Alex, how did they know how to figure all of that stuff out much less pull it off? It was pretty hard to get worked up about them as the bad guys, even if they were mean to Alex, they were hardly compelling after the big mysterious bad guys I vaguely remember from the last books.
There just wasn't enough mystery, mythology, magic or tension in this one. It was mostly a story about a whiny middle-aged guy dealing with his pushy boss and his pushy wife and his wild-child daughter. There was some cool stuff at the end that wrapped the whole thing up, but it was really mostly a set-up for the next book. And now that I think about it, it revealed that this book was really just a transition between the last book and the next book, too. The whole thing was just about showing Niall fighting with his boss, revealing some prophesy, and the set-up at the end, a total transitional book. I'm really sorry to give such a rotten review to a book I was really looking forward to. I really hope the author gets back on stride for the next book.
November 10, 2014
This is the third installment of Mike Shevdon’s ‘The Courts of Feyre’ series. I took a small break from this series. After I finished the second book I couldn’t wait to read it but when I picked it up it wasn’t grabbing my attention. I thought I may have overdosed on Shevdon’s particular charm. I did. I acknowledge I can be fickle. If I am over a genre or style I’m over it for a while. I will want to eat nothing but spaghetti for a month and then I won’t want to eat it at all for six months. It has nothing to do with the quality of the book or the spaghetti. If I had forced myself to read this at the time it would have gone badly. I would have ruined a book that I would normally love. Over time I have learned to recognize the warning signs. Luckily, I made the right choice and shelved it. When I revisited ‘Strangeness and Charm’ I loved it. It picked up where ‘The Road to Bedlam’ left off. Dogstar has a new baby, he’s a warder, a distraught ex-wife, and more importantly his daughter back. She is a mess, but she is a teenager that is dealing with trying to control her powers and her recent captivity. Sure, she was rescued by her dad, but it’s not like she gets to go back to her normal life, see her mom, or go to school. She currently has to be protected but protection doesn’t feel much different from a cell. Dogstar is dealing with this along with getting to know his daughter as a young woman. He can’t win. Caught between Blackbird, his partner’s, wishes; Garvin, head of the Warders, wishes; and his daughter’s needs he upsets everyone.
Dogstar, previously known as Rabbit, has had his own rocky relationship with the Courts of Feyre. He doesn’t fit being of Feyre and human descent. The Feyre don’t know what to do with their mongrel Feyre/human experiment. They don’t fit with the Feyre and they have ended up being test subjects for science with the humans. They aren’t particularly happy and why should they be? This book is about determining where this group belongs. Few get admitted to the Feyre courts and the only way Dogstar was saved was by becoming a warder. They swear allegiance to all and to none. These few exceptions aren’t a standard and when Garvin asks Dogstar to hunt down the hybrids he doesn’t know what to do. As a warder his responsibility is to put them down for the safety of the Feyre and human contract but he doesn’t agree with it. How can he hunt down those people he just saved from the humans? His daughter wades in to this disaster making Dogstar’s position even harder.
I found Shevdon through Ben Aaronovitch’s recommendations on Goodreads. The Courts of the Feyre is a mature urban fantasy set in England. When I say mature I am not speaking code for erotica. This is not sexually explicit. It deals with adult issues such as raising teenagers, and the complexity of having several people’s needs pulling on you at the same time. Some teenagers might enjoy it but it is not YA. The series centers on Dogstar who is an adult man whose upper middle class, divorced, life gets hijacked during book one when his Feyre powers activated. He was forced to abandon his old life but it didn’t release from responsibilities to his ex-wife or his daughter. It only made his relationship to them more complicated.
I recommend this series to anyone who likes mature urban fantasy, Feyre/fey/faerie, and strong world building.
Dogstar, previously known as Rabbit, has had his own rocky relationship with the Courts of Feyre. He doesn’t fit being of Feyre and human descent. The Feyre don’t know what to do with their mongrel Feyre/human experiment. They don’t fit with the Feyre and they have ended up being test subjects for science with the humans. They aren’t particularly happy and why should they be? This book is about determining where this group belongs. Few get admitted to the Feyre courts and the only way Dogstar was saved was by becoming a warder. They swear allegiance to all and to none. These few exceptions aren’t a standard and when Garvin asks Dogstar to hunt down the hybrids he doesn’t know what to do. As a warder his responsibility is to put them down for the safety of the Feyre and human contract but he doesn’t agree with it. How can he hunt down those people he just saved from the humans? His daughter wades in to this disaster making Dogstar’s position even harder.
I found Shevdon through Ben Aaronovitch’s recommendations on Goodreads. The Courts of the Feyre is a mature urban fantasy set in England. When I say mature I am not speaking code for erotica. This is not sexually explicit. It deals with adult issues such as raising teenagers, and the complexity of having several people’s needs pulling on you at the same time. Some teenagers might enjoy it but it is not YA. The series centers on Dogstar who is an adult man whose upper middle class, divorced, life gets hijacked during book one when his Feyre powers activated. He was forced to abandon his old life but it didn’t release from responsibilities to his ex-wife or his daughter. It only made his relationship to them more complicated.
I recommend this series to anyone who likes mature urban fantasy, Feyre/fey/faerie, and strong world building.
June 11, 2012
I was really disappointed by this book because I loved the first two so much. The dialogue in this one was terribly weak and the adults frequently acted like spoiled 13 year olds. And all the enigmatic comments from Blackbird were highly irritating...she's been with Dogstar for over a year and they have a child together...might it not be time to cut the games and act like adults? I hate to say it but this was just not up to the caliber of the previous novels in this series.
March 24, 2021
2.5/5
I don't know why Mike Shevdon would ruin a perfectly good story by bringing Alex's viewpoint into it.
Damn teenagers.
I don't know why Mike Shevdon would ruin a perfectly good story by bringing Alex's viewpoint into it.
Damn teenagers.
September 8, 2012
Eventually this book is about the fallout of what happens with or rather to the escapees from Porton Down. It also deals with Niall (who is rather annoying in this book) and his daughter Alex (who is also annoying). Niall is very defensive and argumentative when told by Fionh that he needs to,learn how to use his powers, that he needs to learn to control them. He pulls an attitude, he's only known about the Fae, that he was Fae, that he even had powers for a short amount of time..now he thinks he's an expert..How does he ever expect to help his daughter when he can't even help himself? I guess Niall's struggle with letting go cover a move vast area then just his daughter.
I also felt that Niall really didn't take his job as a warder seriously. It felt like he rather didn't care about his duty or the proper way to handle situations and just impulsively did what he wants to do. He rather like his daughter in the sense that he don't really care about anything else than his own selfish wants. Yes, his heart may be in the right place but there is way to do things I stead of blindly rushing into them.
I will say this, yes everybody, teenagers are annoying. Reading about teenagers is annoying. Alex is argumentative, defensive, whiny and stubborn. Alex believes that she knows it all and what is best but in all actuality is utterly clueless. She pretty much is the character type for all teenagers. To top it all off, she's supremely powerful, emotional and has no control over her powers...basically she's an ornery loose cannon...No that doesn't really make for fun reading, especially with Niall and Blackbirds arguing added into the mix, but that's just part of the story. I do feel like the story wouldn't be realistic if it was all perfect. For these characters, this is ral life and there are consequences to every action and emotions to every result. It may not always be a fun read, but at least it's real.
But on the flip side of that, I did feel like I was listening to a teenager whine for half the book, and the other half I was listening to a disgruntled, dysfunctional, neglected relationship hash out their problems. I have my own dysfunctions with reality, I really don't need to relive it in my escapism. Reading about that really isn't my favorite pastime..But I digress. I felt like this book was just a bridge onto the next part of the story. If I want to continue to see where Mike Shevdon takes these characters, unfortunately I have to read this story to do it..
I will say that when she wasn't being annoying and essentially acting more adult, I rather enjoyed reading about Alex's story and see her come into her powers. I do feel like this series has some interesting turns and plots ahead of it, especially with the way Mr. Shevdon built the story at the end. He set up enough that after wading through all the crap throughout the whole story at the end your left feeling 'what now.' I'm interested to see what happens next, I just hope the characters don't annoy me half as much...
October 6, 2015
I had a few problems with this book that really ruined it for me. (These might be spoilerific btw)
1. So many spelling errors. I understand that it happens from time to time but there were a lot in this book. ie. site instead of sight.
2. Blackbird and Niall have no chemistry and we're meant to believe they're in love. They bicker so much and it's annoying. She treats him like he's an idiot and he acts like he's never been around women, babies and teenagers before. Ooga booga.
3. The superfluous attempted rape scene perpetrated by a scummy throw-away character that served no purpose other than to prove that the girl can take care of herself.
The first two books were so good but I feel really let down by this one.
1. So many spelling errors. I understand that it happens from time to time but there were a lot in this book. ie. site instead of sight.
2. Blackbird and Niall have no chemistry and we're meant to believe they're in love. They bicker so much and it's annoying. She treats him like he's an idiot and he acts like he's never been around women, babies and teenagers before. Ooga booga.
3. The superfluous attempted rape scene perpetrated by a scummy throw-away character that served no purpose other than to prove that the girl can take care of herself.
The first two books were so good but I feel really let down by this one.
August 17, 2014
Although I've really been looking forward to the release of this the book, the third in the series, it wasn't as obsessively compelling as the previous two.
Niall's character hasn't progressed much; and frankly I'm starting to wonder about him. The story, as usual, is a lovely blending of actual historical events, and fiction. The ending was a bit lame; when I realized what was up I actually said 'really?' aloud.
I'm still on board for the fourth though!
This edition also suffered from a lack of editing - there were too many 'i' instead of 'it' and so on. That is easily fixed in the future though.
Still, not the best book I've read recently.
Niall's character hasn't progressed much; and frankly I'm starting to wonder about him. The story, as usual, is a lovely blending of actual historical events, and fiction. The ending was a bit lame; when I realized what was up I actually said 'really?' aloud.
I'm still on board for the fourth though!
This edition also suffered from a lack of editing - there were too many 'i' instead of 'it' and so on. That is easily fixed in the future though.
Still, not the best book I've read recently.
May 17, 2013
2.5 Stars
This is the weakest of the books by a long shot. Thankfully, Shevdon writes real page turners that make this book easy to push through. The biggest problem of this book is the characters themselves. Niall is reduced to little more than a whiny Father, a disobedient Employee, and a shallow husband. I really could care less about his daughter and all her teen angst. Blackbird is no where to be found.
I will read more but this book is light entertainment only.
This is the weakest of the books by a long shot. Thankfully, Shevdon writes real page turners that make this book easy to push through. The biggest problem of this book is the characters themselves. Niall is reduced to little more than a whiny Father, a disobedient Employee, and a shallow husband. I really could care less about his daughter and all her teen angst. Blackbird is no where to be found.
I will read more but this book is light entertainment only.
April 26, 2014
My praise for this series so far has been that it has managed to steer clear of the majority of pitfalls that most urban fantasy series fall into. The characters have all been well rounded and not stereotypes, the usual and tired tropes have been missing, the relationships between all the characters have been strong and most importantly the characters have made real believable decisions.
Sadly this is the book that is going to force me to eat my words and take it all back… this book was a HUGE disappointment.
This novel should have been called spoiled bitches and sanctimonious bastards. I know that there is a habit of always siding with the protagonist (especially when written in the first person) but I think here I am rightly justified to say that this was literally a book where every character felt the need to gang up on Niall so that nothing he did was possibly right.
This is a familiar thing to read about in urban fantasy. Harry Dresden is always accepting blame from sanctimonious side characters that he simply doesn’t deserve. Felix Castor is forever persecuted for things that weren’t his fault. In the most recent Alex Verus novel he has to deal with the entire cast of support characters constantly judging him incredibly harshly when he has to kill people in order to defend his own life. These are just a few (of an almost infinite number) examples of a phenomenon that I had always hoped that this series might stay clear of but sadly it is here again.
To be perfectly honest I could live with this save for one thing… the protagonists always sit by and accept it.
In this novel Alex (who Niall has recently rescued from a terrible ordeal) decides to pull the stereotypical teenage daughter hates the world act and she runs away believing that everyone is against her. From everything I have ever read most victims in her shoes who have just been through a crucible would have had the paradigm shift showing her how great life was before. Whilst she would never be the same I highly doubt that she would see her parents as tyrannical and as jailers and I certainly don’t understand her continual protestations that her father always puts her last, especially after what he did for her in the last novel.
Blackbird is similarly unfair on the title character, constantly blaming him for her own problems and persecuting him for things outside of his control. She knows that Niall is a man just trying to hang in against the storm of huge forces buffeting him outside his control and certainly not a man with an agenda of his own. Worse, her anger is not only unfounded but she refuses to explain it (that infamous stereotype of a character who for some reason can’t see that a single sentence would solve their relationship problems for a whole novel).
Then there is pressure from Garvin for not doing a job (even though from what we can see he is doing the job), pressure from fellow warders for not doing other things even though there is no time, anger from an ex-wife over something she should be ecstatic about and basically a hundred thousand other things all centred on a title character who does not deserve it.
And how does he handle this constant barrage of unfair pressure? He sits back, accepts and it has some kind of paradigm shift where he genuinely believes that everything is his fault even though he is constantly going above and beyond for everyone.
So basically to sum up this novel, it is continual, one sided and unjustified abuse against the title character for which you will never get any kind of satisfying ending. All the abusive characters still believe they hold the moral high ground at the end of the novel and are never put back in their place which is hugely frustrating because in the most case these characters are all over 300 years old and really should know better by now.
My biggest gripe however, and this is a major spoiler so look away if you don’t want to know, is the fact that Alex has no punishment for her actions by the end of the novel. Her spoiled brat tantrum has led to the near distraction of the universe. Whilst it could be said that when she realised what was happening she tried to stop it, it can’t be said that she went into it blindly. Throughout this novel you see her continually attacking people in horrendous ways, sometimes leading to their deaths, and sticking with a group of people who continue to kill needlessly in her presence. She can not even hope to claim that she was in the right in any of these situations (even the rape as she had the power to stop that before it got that far and chase the guys off) and by the end of the novel her high and mighty, sanctimonious attitude that showed a complete lack of repentance for her actions and the deaths of so many people were proof that she needed serious punishment. If this character was not the daughter of the protagonist she would have been labeled as a villain and in any other story line would probably have ended up dead by the end of the novel.
Overall then this is a massive disappointment for this series. For most of it I kept reading only because of the loyalty the first book and to a lesser extent the second book has earned. I can only hope that the next book won’t be anywhere near as frustrating or as pointless (it would be nice if we dealt with the main storyline of the series more than just repeating the same line of prophecy we have heard in all three books).
Sadly this is the book that is going to force me to eat my words and take it all back… this book was a HUGE disappointment.
This novel should have been called spoiled bitches and sanctimonious bastards. I know that there is a habit of always siding with the protagonist (especially when written in the first person) but I think here I am rightly justified to say that this was literally a book where every character felt the need to gang up on Niall so that nothing he did was possibly right.
This is a familiar thing to read about in urban fantasy. Harry Dresden is always accepting blame from sanctimonious side characters that he simply doesn’t deserve. Felix Castor is forever persecuted for things that weren’t his fault. In the most recent Alex Verus novel he has to deal with the entire cast of support characters constantly judging him incredibly harshly when he has to kill people in order to defend his own life. These are just a few (of an almost infinite number) examples of a phenomenon that I had always hoped that this series might stay clear of but sadly it is here again.
To be perfectly honest I could live with this save for one thing… the protagonists always sit by and accept it.
In this novel Alex (who Niall has recently rescued from a terrible ordeal) decides to pull the stereotypical teenage daughter hates the world act and she runs away believing that everyone is against her. From everything I have ever read most victims in her shoes who have just been through a crucible would have had the paradigm shift showing her how great life was before. Whilst she would never be the same I highly doubt that she would see her parents as tyrannical and as jailers and I certainly don’t understand her continual protestations that her father always puts her last, especially after what he did for her in the last novel.
Blackbird is similarly unfair on the title character, constantly blaming him for her own problems and persecuting him for things outside of his control. She knows that Niall is a man just trying to hang in against the storm of huge forces buffeting him outside his control and certainly not a man with an agenda of his own. Worse, her anger is not only unfounded but she refuses to explain it (that infamous stereotype of a character who for some reason can’t see that a single sentence would solve their relationship problems for a whole novel).
Then there is pressure from Garvin for not doing a job (even though from what we can see he is doing the job), pressure from fellow warders for not doing other things even though there is no time, anger from an ex-wife over something she should be ecstatic about and basically a hundred thousand other things all centred on a title character who does not deserve it.
And how does he handle this constant barrage of unfair pressure? He sits back, accepts and it has some kind of paradigm shift where he genuinely believes that everything is his fault even though he is constantly going above and beyond for everyone.
So basically to sum up this novel, it is continual, one sided and unjustified abuse against the title character for which you will never get any kind of satisfying ending. All the abusive characters still believe they hold the moral high ground at the end of the novel and are never put back in their place which is hugely frustrating because in the most case these characters are all over 300 years old and really should know better by now.
My biggest gripe however, and this is a major spoiler so look away if you don’t want to know, is the fact that Alex has no punishment for her actions by the end of the novel. Her spoiled brat tantrum has led to the near distraction of the universe. Whilst it could be said that when she realised what was happening she tried to stop it, it can’t be said that she went into it blindly. Throughout this novel you see her continually attacking people in horrendous ways, sometimes leading to their deaths, and sticking with a group of people who continue to kill needlessly in her presence. She can not even hope to claim that she was in the right in any of these situations (even the rape as she had the power to stop that before it got that far and chase the guys off) and by the end of the novel her high and mighty, sanctimonious attitude that showed a complete lack of repentance for her actions and the deaths of so many people were proof that she needed serious punishment. If this character was not the daughter of the protagonist she would have been labeled as a villain and in any other story line would probably have ended up dead by the end of the novel.
Overall then this is a massive disappointment for this series. For most of it I kept reading only because of the loyalty the first book and to a lesser extent the second book has earned. I can only hope that the next book won’t be anywhere near as frustrating or as pointless (it would be nice if we dealt with the main storyline of the series more than just repeating the same line of prophecy we have heard in all three books).
September 1, 2012
A sequel in a series. If you've read and enjoyed the first two books, you'll know what to expect and enjoy this one more or less equally (although the damsel in distress from book two, our hero's daughter, is a stupid annoying character in this one, more or less a female Anakin Skywalker as portrayed by Haydn Christensen, all whining, whinging, pouting, sulking rebellion without a cause with an extra dose of incredible stupidity and willful ignoring of murder and mayhem as committed by her new friends)
The dialogue starts out as repetitive and grinding as it is in the first two books, but that problem either decreases during this novel, or I have given up being annoyed by it. The writing is still drifting in and out of faux-epic, with an added element of occasionally quoting movie dialogue with a wink in the eye.
The novel is entertaining - you sort of want to know what happens next - but a bit grating: characters tend to be quite binary, flopping from nobly mysterious and enigmatically powerful to secret heart of gold (Amber), hunk (Tate), angry Chief Inspector / Lieutenant (Garvin), henpecking wife (Blackbird), ... basically, the Fey aren't really different from human characters, they just occasionally speak Noble and wreak hefty magic around, but strip those away and we might as well be reading about office politics in a call centre. No one in these books has a beautiful soul, or a strange one.
As urban fantasy novels go, this series (and novel) is pleasantly entertaining but not very fulfilling.
The dialogue starts out as repetitive and grinding as it is in the first two books, but that problem either decreases during this novel, or I have given up being annoyed by it. The writing is still drifting in and out of faux-epic, with an added element of occasionally quoting movie dialogue with a wink in the eye.
The novel is entertaining - you sort of want to know what happens next - but a bit grating: characters tend to be quite binary, flopping from nobly mysterious and enigmatically powerful to secret heart of gold (Amber), hunk (Tate), angry Chief Inspector / Lieutenant (Garvin), henpecking wife (Blackbird), ... basically, the Fey aren't really different from human characters, they just occasionally speak Noble and wreak hefty magic around, but strip those away and we might as well be reading about office politics in a call centre. No one in these books has a beautiful soul, or a strange one.
As urban fantasy novels go, this series (and novel) is pleasantly entertaining but not very fulfilling.
January 2, 2020
A grown man acting like a teenager
When I read fantasy or sci-fi, I don't expect to read much about the protagonist's problems with his family, ex, or co-workers, unless they're turning into vampires, zombies, or mutants. This story has too much of it, and he deals with these problems with all the finesse of a spoiled teenager. His daughter acts the same way, which is understandable since she is a teenager, but I still find her lack of respect for her elders and their experience irritating. The story is passable, but the characters' behavior was so disgusting it was a struggle to finish the story. Definitely wouldn't give it to a kid to read, due to be characters' substandard behaviors.
When I read fantasy or sci-fi, I don't expect to read much about the protagonist's problems with his family, ex, or co-workers, unless they're turning into vampires, zombies, or mutants. This story has too much of it, and he deals with these problems with all the finesse of a spoiled teenager. His daughter acts the same way, which is understandable since she is a teenager, but I still find her lack of respect for her elders and their experience irritating. The story is passable, but the characters' behavior was so disgusting it was a struggle to finish the story. Definitely wouldn't give it to a kid to read, due to be characters' substandard behaviors.
August 18, 2017
Pretty hard to find a sympathetic or consistent character in this one. Also whilst the church was interesting, the rest seemed to lack consistency. The entire section at the Tower of London seemed unnecessary at best.
March 24, 2021
This book was hard for me to get through because of the main characters daughter who was the most unlikable character I've ever come across. She was selfcentered, selfish, and just thoroughly awful. She made me want to skim her sections of the story just to get back to her father.
August 17, 2014
While still a thriller, this installment of the series is driven a bit more by emotional development than the others, bringing the main character through some rewarding new changes.
June 19, 2012
----- Spoilers -----
Newest addition to Mike Shevdon's UF series Courts Of The Fey.
I'm a bit torn as to what to think of this novel.
On one hand i think the overall story about the fae is very interesting.
The characters are likeable and i think especially Blackbird is well-made (if i disregard the atypical period she went through in the beginning of this book).
There is a nice frame for the magic-system, but i think we still need a lot of information for it to really work as an integrated part of the story. (although it's slowly getting there, it needs more rules and more consistency)
There are plenty of interesting plot-lines, and a lot of areas i'm looking forward to learn more about.
Fx. What are the qualities of the other Fae courts, how and where do they live, what do they do, what can they do, what do they want.
What exactly is Nialls ties to the 7th court, is he in family with Raffmir etc. etc.
On the other hand, i think that despite having the frame for an excellent UF series cut out for himself, Shevdon writes a story that is more about being a divourced middleaged man trying to make his family-life work with both a traumatized teenage daughter, a girlfriend junked-up on hormones and a newborn son, than an exploration into a world behind the world.
The primary task of this book seemed to be character development.
This is actually quite fine imo, i have a feeling Shevdon is setting up something big for the future novels in this series, but it felt a bit forced and i'm not sure i like the result.
Alex's character needed work after the second book, and we got to follow her trying to "find herself" on her own.
Blackbirds behaviour in this book seemed a bit irrational, her fits in the beginning seemed to be put there mostly because the story needed something in the beginning where its most about Niall fighting with Alex.
We are also fed small clues throughout the story that the warders perhaps arent the peacekeeping security squad they seemed on first impression, and something darker is lurking underneath the surface.
We get to know a couple of the warders a bit better, and a couple of new half-breeds are introduced.
The plot in this book, i felt, stepped around many of the most interesting areas of this series.
It felt as though Shevdon had an end result he was going for, and at times bruteforced his story into going there.
(It was the same in The Road To Bedlam)
An example to show what i mean.
In the first book we get told that being a mongrel of the 7th court is unheard of and that Nialls case in unprecedented because wraith dont mate with humans.
We then get clues that there might to be some sort of connection between Raffmir and Niall.
By all logic Alex should be a wraith too then, or just human.
Then it seems Shevdon had enough with one wraith character, and he changed the rule in #2 to "a mongrel can have any of the courts properties, the human gene has a random factor". (or something along those lines).
So now Alex is not a wraith, but something else, and all the human mongrels seems to be getting random magic abilities (even beyond those of the courts).
It gives the impression that Shevdon just adjust his systems to fit along the way, instead of having it thought-out beforehand.
Had it been only this one thing i wouldnt have mentioned it, but it feels as a recurring problem that the events in the book, and the rules of the magic-system, just seems too constructed and too neat.
In this book for example, when Alex splits, were there any doubts who she would end up with? Even though they are in hiding, and the warders cant find them and have compromised their one known location, they just happen to be back there again on a quick visit when Alex shows up.
On top of that the one guy Niall's been trying to talk to is the one guy who can gather all the other half-breeds, and despite him not getting anywhere with him throughout most of the book, it just all falls neatly into place by the end.
So to sum up.
Not impressed with this story, and a bit dissapointed with the amount of worldbuilding that got done.
On the positive side it's still a very nice frame/premise for an urban fantasy series, with a good set of characters, some enticing possible plotlines, and the worldbuilding that did get done was awesome.
I thought it was well-written, i missed some of the great dialogue from especially the first book, but the dialogue is still one of this series strong points.
When Niall and Blackbird works as a team the story seems to get something that it just doesnt have when Niall is on his own.
Much of what compelled me by the first novel was the interactions between Niall and Blackbird, and i think Blackbird especially came across as an intelligent character with an interesting personality.
(So rare to get shown that characters are intelligent, instead of just being told.) I missed Blackbird, as i had come to know her, in most of this book.
The ending was once again very strong (seems to be a trademark of Shevdon), and kept me on the edge of my seat. Shevdon uses 3/4 of his story setting up domino pieces (not as smoothly as i would have liked) and then lets them all collide in one last blow-out.
The ending provides some very interesting changes for the "universe", and i'm really looking forward to seeing where it's all going.
I'm hoping that this book was just about lining things up for the real story, and that we will get that story soon.
In itself a decent novel, which promises to be followed by something really great.
Overall this is one of the best Urban Fantasy series i've come across, and i doubt people who like UF will be dissapointed by it.
Despite having some flaws (imho) it's really a very strong series, which i have high hopes for, so it get 4 stars.
Although i dont think 3 would have been unjust for this one.
Recommendations if you like this series.
The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher.
Peter Grant - Ben Aaronovitch
Night Watch - Lukyanenko
Newest addition to Mike Shevdon's UF series Courts Of The Fey.
I'm a bit torn as to what to think of this novel.
On one hand i think the overall story about the fae is very interesting.
The characters are likeable and i think especially Blackbird is well-made (if i disregard the atypical period she went through in the beginning of this book).
There is a nice frame for the magic-system, but i think we still need a lot of information for it to really work as an integrated part of the story. (although it's slowly getting there, it needs more rules and more consistency)
There are plenty of interesting plot-lines, and a lot of areas i'm looking forward to learn more about.
Fx. What are the qualities of the other Fae courts, how and where do they live, what do they do, what can they do, what do they want.
What exactly is Nialls ties to the 7th court, is he in family with Raffmir etc. etc.
On the other hand, i think that despite having the frame for an excellent UF series cut out for himself, Shevdon writes a story that is more about being a divourced middleaged man trying to make his family-life work with both a traumatized teenage daughter, a girlfriend junked-up on hormones and a newborn son, than an exploration into a world behind the world.
The primary task of this book seemed to be character development.
This is actually quite fine imo, i have a feeling Shevdon is setting up something big for the future novels in this series, but it felt a bit forced and i'm not sure i like the result.
Alex's character needed work after the second book, and we got to follow her trying to "find herself" on her own.
Blackbirds behaviour in this book seemed a bit irrational, her fits in the beginning seemed to be put there mostly because the story needed something in the beginning where its most about Niall fighting with Alex.
We are also fed small clues throughout the story that the warders perhaps arent the peacekeeping security squad they seemed on first impression, and something darker is lurking underneath the surface.
We get to know a couple of the warders a bit better, and a couple of new half-breeds are introduced.
The plot in this book, i felt, stepped around many of the most interesting areas of this series.
It felt as though Shevdon had an end result he was going for, and at times bruteforced his story into going there.
(It was the same in The Road To Bedlam)
An example to show what i mean.
In the first book we get told that being a mongrel of the 7th court is unheard of and that Nialls case in unprecedented because wraith dont mate with humans.
We then get clues that there might to be some sort of connection between Raffmir and Niall.
By all logic Alex should be a wraith too then, or just human.
Then it seems Shevdon had enough with one wraith character, and he changed the rule in #2 to "a mongrel can have any of the courts properties, the human gene has a random factor". (or something along those lines).
So now Alex is not a wraith, but something else, and all the human mongrels seems to be getting random magic abilities (even beyond those of the courts).
It gives the impression that Shevdon just adjust his systems to fit along the way, instead of having it thought-out beforehand.
Had it been only this one thing i wouldnt have mentioned it, but it feels as a recurring problem that the events in the book, and the rules of the magic-system, just seems too constructed and too neat.
In this book for example, when Alex splits, were there any doubts who she would end up with? Even though they are in hiding, and the warders cant find them and have compromised their one known location, they just happen to be back there again on a quick visit when Alex shows up.
On top of that the one guy Niall's been trying to talk to is the one guy who can gather all the other half-breeds, and despite him not getting anywhere with him throughout most of the book, it just all falls neatly into place by the end.
So to sum up.
Not impressed with this story, and a bit dissapointed with the amount of worldbuilding that got done.
On the positive side it's still a very nice frame/premise for an urban fantasy series, with a good set of characters, some enticing possible plotlines, and the worldbuilding that did get done was awesome.
I thought it was well-written, i missed some of the great dialogue from especially the first book, but the dialogue is still one of this series strong points.
When Niall and Blackbird works as a team the story seems to get something that it just doesnt have when Niall is on his own.
Much of what compelled me by the first novel was the interactions between Niall and Blackbird, and i think Blackbird especially came across as an intelligent character with an interesting personality.
(So rare to get shown that characters are intelligent, instead of just being told.) I missed Blackbird, as i had come to know her, in most of this book.
The ending was once again very strong (seems to be a trademark of Shevdon), and kept me on the edge of my seat. Shevdon uses 3/4 of his story setting up domino pieces (not as smoothly as i would have liked) and then lets them all collide in one last blow-out.
The ending provides some very interesting changes for the "universe", and i'm really looking forward to seeing where it's all going.
I'm hoping that this book was just about lining things up for the real story, and that we will get that story soon.
In itself a decent novel, which promises to be followed by something really great.
Overall this is one of the best Urban Fantasy series i've come across, and i doubt people who like UF will be dissapointed by it.
Despite having some flaws (imho) it's really a very strong series, which i have high hopes for, so it get 4 stars.
Although i dont think 3 would have been unjust for this one.
Recommendations if you like this series.
The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher.
Peter Grant - Ben Aaronovitch
Night Watch - Lukyanenko
July 12, 2023
My experience with this book was somewhat strange. For some sections of the book I was so bored that some nights I wasn't even motivated to pick up the book at all, for others I was so captivated that I couldn't put it down for multiple chapters. There were some strange quirks from the author, for one he seemed strangely insistent on describing the 15 year old female character's nudity, but at least it only happened a few times. He also seemed to have a working knowledge of the occult, which is interesting.
January 8, 2020
The plot thickens in this third volume of the Courts of the Feyre
Niall's role as Warder is developed as new unsavoury characters are introduced after the events of Porton Down. Alex's role is further developed as is Blackbird's. The story moves along at a good steady pace and becomes quite involved, even complicated. It's all enjoyable and engaging and highly recommended to fans of good fantasy writing.
Niall's role as Warder is developed as new unsavoury characters are introduced after the events of Porton Down. Alex's role is further developed as is Blackbird's. The story moves along at a good steady pace and becomes quite involved, even complicated. It's all enjoyable and engaging and highly recommended to fans of good fantasy writing.
February 20, 2023
Přečetla jsem si omylem nejdřív čtvrtý díl, a až pak třetí? Možná. Vadilo mi to? Ani dost málo. (No, možná trochu. Ale jen maličko.)
Možná i proto, že jsem věděla, co bude dál, mi začátek připadal poněkud slabší, ale poslední třetina nebo čtvrtina to vyvážila do velmi příjemného zážitku.
Možná i proto, že jsem věděla, co bude dál, mi začátek připadal poněkud slabší, ale poslední třetina nebo čtvrtina to vyvážila do velmi příjemného zážitku.
October 14, 2017
love this series
September 13, 2025
A bit of a long read, most engaging.
April 19, 2012
Strangeness and Charm by Mike Shevdon is the third book in the Courts of the Feyre series. The events of this story take off soon after the events of the last, The Road to Bedlam. After Niall Petersen, our hero, managed to save his daughter, Alex, from human experimenters, he finds himself and his family tearing at each other throats. There are also all the other inmates of the special hospital that held the half-fey mongrels set loose on the world and Garvin, the head of the Court’s Warders, has given Niall the responsibility of bringing them all in before they upset the Human-Feyre treaty. If Niall doesn’t or can’t do it, Garvin will send the other Warders and they won’t be as nice. As a matter of fact, they’ll probably kill the mongrels rather than deal with bringing them in. But all Niall wants to do is help them.
As if that wasn’t enough, after Niall makes a belated attempt to inform Alex’s mother, his ex-wife Katherine, that her daughter is still alive, Alex runs away. Niall’s situation worsens as he seems to make more relational blunders by ignoring the mother of his newborn son, Blackbird, earning the ire of his new wife. The poor guy is just not catching any breaks.
Meanwhile, Garvin is increasing the pressure for him to do something about all the dangerous mongrels. While attempting to do so, Niall also trys to find his daughter, but his efforts only drive her farther away and into the clutches of one scary, young half-fey – Eve.
Eve is determined to end the world. But she needs four people to do it, one each of the elements: earth, air, fire, and water. She has three of them down, but needs the last. It just so happens that Alex blunders into their lair when Eve needs someone with her sympathy – water. Unaware of Eve’s ultimate goal to end the universe, Alex helps her steal ancient artifacts and further drives a wedge between her and the Courts of the Feyre.
Will Niall manage to convince the skittish mongrels to come in peaceably before Garvin loses his patience and declares war on them? Will he and Blackbird find Alex in time, before Eve is able to make good on her crazy ambitions? And what about Niall’s prophecy that keeps cropping up to muddy the waters: “The son shall rise and they will fall.” Is that son or sun? Who will fall? And what, will become of the mongrels, half-human and half-fey? No one seems to want them – except dead.
Well, I could tell you, but that wouldn’t be nice.
This installment of the Courts of the Feyre series is a fine continuation of Niall Petersen’s story. Again, not as fast paced as the first in the series, and not as spectacular as the second (in my opinion), but I very much enjoyed Strangeness and Charm. Mr. Shevdon continues to show his readers fresh insights about his characters and his wonderful imagination manifests in the fey magic mixes with human blood to create interesting fey-mongrels.
I was disappointed that some of the wonderful waithkin monsters, those sympathetic to the void, the spaces between, were not present in Strangeness and Charm. This book definitely focuses more on Alex, Niall’s daughter, and her struggle to control her ability and freedom. She is scarred and traumatized from her incarceration and makes some serious mistakes, as any teenager might do. However, I just couldn’t get into her story. She was too self-centered for my tastes. I found myself wishing someone would take her aside and slap some sense into her. I suppose, if Mr. Shevdon was trying to accurately portray an annoying and rebellious teenager, he succeeded. I couldn’t stand her.
I did enjoy the return of Blackbird to the story. As hard it would be for a mother with a newborn to leave her child, she manages to get back into the chase. As she helps Niall find Alex, and consequently Eve and her posse, I was reminded of her quick wit and the reason why I fell in love with Mr. Shevdon’s world. The pace of the book soared for me when Blackbird alighted on the page. Next to Niall, she’s my favorite character in this series, making her ascension to the throne of the Eighth Court all that more satisfying.
Recommended.
As if that wasn’t enough, after Niall makes a belated attempt to inform Alex’s mother, his ex-wife Katherine, that her daughter is still alive, Alex runs away. Niall’s situation worsens as he seems to make more relational blunders by ignoring the mother of his newborn son, Blackbird, earning the ire of his new wife. The poor guy is just not catching any breaks.
Meanwhile, Garvin is increasing the pressure for him to do something about all the dangerous mongrels. While attempting to do so, Niall also trys to find his daughter, but his efforts only drive her farther away and into the clutches of one scary, young half-fey – Eve.
Eve is determined to end the world. But she needs four people to do it, one each of the elements: earth, air, fire, and water. She has three of them down, but needs the last. It just so happens that Alex blunders into their lair when Eve needs someone with her sympathy – water. Unaware of Eve’s ultimate goal to end the universe, Alex helps her steal ancient artifacts and further drives a wedge between her and the Courts of the Feyre.
Will Niall manage to convince the skittish mongrels to come in peaceably before Garvin loses his patience and declares war on them? Will he and Blackbird find Alex in time, before Eve is able to make good on her crazy ambitions? And what about Niall’s prophecy that keeps cropping up to muddy the waters: “The son shall rise and they will fall.” Is that son or sun? Who will fall? And what, will become of the mongrels, half-human and half-fey? No one seems to want them – except dead.
Well, I could tell you, but that wouldn’t be nice.
This installment of the Courts of the Feyre series is a fine continuation of Niall Petersen’s story. Again, not as fast paced as the first in the series, and not as spectacular as the second (in my opinion), but I very much enjoyed Strangeness and Charm. Mr. Shevdon continues to show his readers fresh insights about his characters and his wonderful imagination manifests in the fey magic mixes with human blood to create interesting fey-mongrels.
I was disappointed that some of the wonderful waithkin monsters, those sympathetic to the void, the spaces between, were not present in Strangeness and Charm. This book definitely focuses more on Alex, Niall’s daughter, and her struggle to control her ability and freedom. She is scarred and traumatized from her incarceration and makes some serious mistakes, as any teenager might do. However, I just couldn’t get into her story. She was too self-centered for my tastes. I found myself wishing someone would take her aside and slap some sense into her. I suppose, if Mr. Shevdon was trying to accurately portray an annoying and rebellious teenager, he succeeded. I couldn’t stand her.
I did enjoy the return of Blackbird to the story. As hard it would be for a mother with a newborn to leave her child, she manages to get back into the chase. As she helps Niall find Alex, and consequently Eve and her posse, I was reminded of her quick wit and the reason why I fell in love with Mr. Shevdon’s world. The pace of the book soared for me when Blackbird alighted on the page. Next to Niall, she’s my favorite character in this series, making her ascension to the throne of the Eighth Court all that more satisfying.
Recommended.
May 18, 2012
One perk to being part of the Angry Robot Army is I get access to eARC's of their newest releases. After reading the first two books in Mike's Courts of the Feyre series (Sixty-One Nails and Road to Bedlam), I was jonsin' for this book to come out. Strangeness and Charm is set to release May 29th. I'll have an ARC signed by Mike to give away as part of my podcast with him, which I'll post 5/23 on my website.
Mike had me up late last night finishing Strangeness and Charm--a sign of a great book, for sure. I love a book with a strong ending, one that shows the author stepped up his game to create a spectacular finish. Mike pulled out all the stops on this one, creating one of the most memorable climaxes I've read across any genre. One of Mike's strengths is how he uses native British history to insert mystery and magical intrigue into his stories. If you look at the awesome new cover design (the first two books will be redesigned in similar fashion), you'll notice relics that the main character ends up hunting in the book to prevent a catastrophe.
In an interview I had recently with Mike, he mentioned how writing this Urban Fantasy series excites him because of how it presents a very real world, but also includes the magic that lies in the shadows. This in turn creates an experience for the reader where they hopefully start observing their own reality and where magic might be hiding. This is similar to how Horror draws people in, making them think a monster might be hiding in the dark, and while Mike does have some monsters in the first two books, this book is more about people with superpowers. Is the person that just walked by using glamour to hide the sword they're carrying?
Having just seen Avengers, and loved it, this book made for a similar if not better experience--which is high praise to both. The main character, Niall, begins Strangeness and Charm with the task of finding half-breed fey who have escaped the events concluding book two, Road to Bedlam. Mike starts the book off showing us what one teenage half-breed would do with his ability to create the effects of projectile weapons. Anyone pantomime guns with their hands growing up? This kid does that and things actually blow up. How cool is that? And he's just the beginning of many displays of unique superpowers.
While Mike gives us a hefty dose of magic battles, relic hunting, and the usual Niall-being-Niall rookie mistakes, the first third focuses on Niall's relationship with his rebellious daughter, Alex. The theme explores the relationship between father and teenage daughter, and what both sides often go through before realizing how to show love in a respectful way. Alex is a half-breed like he is assigned to hunt, and eventually gets fed up feeling like she doesn't belong. This creates a high-stakes tension when she falls into a group of half-breeds who have nefarious plans that Niall's boss won't take too kindly to.
I can't say enough about how much I loved reading about the magical abilities of the half-breeds. The ending... wow. That was awesome, and emotional too beyond the "fireworks" display. Hats off to Mike for doing the research needed to make the setting feel so real--the relics, rituals and locations are all based on actual history. I can't wait to see how this series concludes with book four.
Mike had me up late last night finishing Strangeness and Charm--a sign of a great book, for sure. I love a book with a strong ending, one that shows the author stepped up his game to create a spectacular finish. Mike pulled out all the stops on this one, creating one of the most memorable climaxes I've read across any genre. One of Mike's strengths is how he uses native British history to insert mystery and magical intrigue into his stories. If you look at the awesome new cover design (the first two books will be redesigned in similar fashion), you'll notice relics that the main character ends up hunting in the book to prevent a catastrophe.
In an interview I had recently with Mike, he mentioned how writing this Urban Fantasy series excites him because of how it presents a very real world, but also includes the magic that lies in the shadows. This in turn creates an experience for the reader where they hopefully start observing their own reality and where magic might be hiding. This is similar to how Horror draws people in, making them think a monster might be hiding in the dark, and while Mike does have some monsters in the first two books, this book is more about people with superpowers. Is the person that just walked by using glamour to hide the sword they're carrying?
Having just seen Avengers, and loved it, this book made for a similar if not better experience--which is high praise to both. The main character, Niall, begins Strangeness and Charm with the task of finding half-breed fey who have escaped the events concluding book two, Road to Bedlam. Mike starts the book off showing us what one teenage half-breed would do with his ability to create the effects of projectile weapons. Anyone pantomime guns with their hands growing up? This kid does that and things actually blow up. How cool is that? And he's just the beginning of many displays of unique superpowers.
While Mike gives us a hefty dose of magic battles, relic hunting, and the usual Niall-being-Niall rookie mistakes, the first third focuses on Niall's relationship with his rebellious daughter, Alex. The theme explores the relationship between father and teenage daughter, and what both sides often go through before realizing how to show love in a respectful way. Alex is a half-breed like he is assigned to hunt, and eventually gets fed up feeling like she doesn't belong. This creates a high-stakes tension when she falls into a group of half-breeds who have nefarious plans that Niall's boss won't take too kindly to.
I can't say enough about how much I loved reading about the magical abilities of the half-breeds. The ending... wow. That was awesome, and emotional too beyond the "fireworks" display. Hats off to Mike for doing the research needed to make the setting feel so real--the relics, rituals and locations are all based on actual history. I can't wait to see how this series concludes with book four.
June 6, 2012
In freeing Alex from Bedlam, Niall has releases her tortured and abused brethren into the wider world—individuals with strange and uncertain powers.
Now he is tasked with bringing these fey-humans back into the fey courts for the sake of peace and stability—but what if they have their own plans, born out of torture and formed from a distillation of bitterness, resentment, Strangeness and Charm?
The Road to Bedlam, book two in The Courts of the Feyre series, holds a very special place in my heart. Why? Well there is an internet meme that has been floating around since before I started reviewing books – it’s specifically a list of questions about books and one question is what was the last book that made you cry? Now, I’m not a massive crier but there is a scene in The Road to Bedlam that breaks my heart every time I read it. Long story short, I’ve never read anything before or since that have so perfectly managed to capture the emotion of a situation with such a delicate touch. I have to admit that after enjoying book two so much I had extremely high hopes when I started Strangeness and Charm.
Niall’s daughter Alex takes a far more prominent role in this novel. She has reached that awkward age where she is trying to define herself and understand her role in the world. Imagine all the trauma of puberty with the added bonus of magical abilities that you can’t fully control. After the events that occurred in Bedlam, Alex is just looking for a place where she feels she can fit in. Unfortunately Niall, not always the most attentive of parents and with added responsibility of a new son of his own, cant always be there for her. Alex finds herself at the beginning of a journey that will have repercussions for everyone.
Meanwhile, Niall finds himself increasingly on the outside of events. His relationship with the other Warders, including his boss Garvin, becomes increasingly strained as the plot unfolds. On top of that, Niall and his partner Blackbird are also having to cope with the trails and tribulations of being new parents.
The political landscape in the courts is also starting to evolve. Various allegiances are shifting and those that were previously considered friends may no longer be. Though this novel only focuses on a handful of characters the final outcome has the potential to affect every member of Fey society.
The Courts of the Feyre is swiftly becoming one of my favourite series. There is a fantastic quality to Mike Shevdon’s work that I’ve yet to discover anywhere else. Strangeness and Charm is a great example of modern urban fantasy executed perfectly.
The good news is that this isn’t the last we’ll see of Niall and company, there is still more of this story to tell. There are a few subtle hints regarding the dark history of the courts and I can only hope that this will be explored more fully in the future.
It only remains for me to say – Damn you Mike Shevdon! *shakes fist angrily at the sky* DAMN YOU! Why the hostility? It has just dawned on me that I’ll have to wait until 2013 before I can find out what happens next? Oh who am I kidding I’ll be there. I can probably just about manage to wait that long…probably.
Strangeness and Charm is published by Angry Robot Books and is released in the UK on 7th June 2012.
Now he is tasked with bringing these fey-humans back into the fey courts for the sake of peace and stability—but what if they have their own plans, born out of torture and formed from a distillation of bitterness, resentment, Strangeness and Charm?
The Road to Bedlam, book two in The Courts of the Feyre series, holds a very special place in my heart. Why? Well there is an internet meme that has been floating around since before I started reviewing books – it’s specifically a list of questions about books and one question is what was the last book that made you cry? Now, I’m not a massive crier but there is a scene in The Road to Bedlam that breaks my heart every time I read it. Long story short, I’ve never read anything before or since that have so perfectly managed to capture the emotion of a situation with such a delicate touch. I have to admit that after enjoying book two so much I had extremely high hopes when I started Strangeness and Charm.
Niall’s daughter Alex takes a far more prominent role in this novel. She has reached that awkward age where she is trying to define herself and understand her role in the world. Imagine all the trauma of puberty with the added bonus of magical abilities that you can’t fully control. After the events that occurred in Bedlam, Alex is just looking for a place where she feels she can fit in. Unfortunately Niall, not always the most attentive of parents and with added responsibility of a new son of his own, cant always be there for her. Alex finds herself at the beginning of a journey that will have repercussions for everyone.
Meanwhile, Niall finds himself increasingly on the outside of events. His relationship with the other Warders, including his boss Garvin, becomes increasingly strained as the plot unfolds. On top of that, Niall and his partner Blackbird are also having to cope with the trails and tribulations of being new parents.
The political landscape in the courts is also starting to evolve. Various allegiances are shifting and those that were previously considered friends may no longer be. Though this novel only focuses on a handful of characters the final outcome has the potential to affect every member of Fey society.
The Courts of the Feyre is swiftly becoming one of my favourite series. There is a fantastic quality to Mike Shevdon’s work that I’ve yet to discover anywhere else. Strangeness and Charm is a great example of modern urban fantasy executed perfectly.
The good news is that this isn’t the last we’ll see of Niall and company, there is still more of this story to tell. There are a few subtle hints regarding the dark history of the courts and I can only hope that this will be explored more fully in the future.
It only remains for me to say – Damn you Mike Shevdon! *shakes fist angrily at the sky* DAMN YOU! Why the hostility? It has just dawned on me that I’ll have to wait until 2013 before I can find out what happens next? Oh who am I kidding I’ll be there. I can probably just about manage to wait that long…probably.
Strangeness and Charm is published by Angry Robot Books and is released in the UK on 7th June 2012.
May 27, 2012
The 1st 2 books in this series were relentless , moving at incredible pace . This is different .
Whereas there is some of the epic sweep of the 1st 2 volumes (such as the battle on Glastonbury Tor), this is much more about Niall , & particularly his relationships - with Blackbird , with Alex , with Garvin , the chief of the warders , & with his ex-wife ....
Niall & Blackbird now have a son , & Alex is a typical teenager - but with Feyre powers that are pretty much out of control . She still hasn't recovered from the trauma of Porton Down , & , to complicate matters , Garvin sends Niall on a mission to track down the other escapees from the Bedlam project...
This was more of a "grower" than the 1st 2 (due , I think , to the slower pace - particularly at the start) , but once you get into it , it is a fantastic story . As ever , Mike Shevdon also packs in some interesting locations & examples of historical eccentricity (see his notes at the end).
A wonderful book . Please read it.
Whereas there is some of the epic sweep of the 1st 2 volumes (such as the battle on Glastonbury Tor), this is much more about Niall , & particularly his relationships - with Blackbird , with Alex , with Garvin , the chief of the warders , & with his ex-wife ....
Niall & Blackbird now have a son , & Alex is a typical teenager - but with Feyre powers that are pretty much out of control . She still hasn't recovered from the trauma of Porton Down , & , to complicate matters , Garvin sends Niall on a mission to track down the other escapees from the Bedlam project...
This was more of a "grower" than the 1st 2 (due , I think , to the slower pace - particularly at the start) , but once you get into it , it is a fantastic story . As ever , Mike Shevdon also packs in some interesting locations & examples of historical eccentricity (see his notes at the end).
A wonderful book . Please read it.
November 3, 2014
This third in the Courts of the Feyre series finds Niall Petersen picking up the pieces after the events of The Road to Bedlam. Thanks to him, a whole slew of half feys are on the loose and many of them have little to no control over their powers. What's more, their imprisonment has left them with some serious issues. In an attempt to maintain their agreement with the human world, Niall will have to round up the rogue feys and bring them back to the Courts. But not all of them are ready or willing to go along with Niall or the Courts wishes.
There are many things that make this series a true standout. Shevdon's worldbuilding is the key, though. His Courts of the Feyre series is set in the UK but he twists the existing framework of the real world adding in Fey elements. One of my favorite things is his manipulation of actual history, superstitions, symbolism, and ceremonies.
There are many things that make this series a true standout. Shevdon's worldbuilding is the key, though. His Courts of the Feyre series is set in the UK but he twists the existing framework of the real world adding in Fey elements. One of my favorite things is his manipulation of actual history, superstitions, symbolism, and ceremonies.
August 17, 2012
Once again Shevdon has succeeded in creating an imaginative book. He combines real history into his story and makes it seem more life-like and believable. With many twists and turns Strangeness and Charm will take you away and into it's own urban fantasy world.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters continued to develop and kept their characteristics which haven't changed since the first book. Although some of the choices the characters made frustrated me as I could tell something would go wrong, I could happily read this series again.
If I'm honest, I really hope this isn't the last book. There are things that need explaining and loose ends that need tying up so I am hoping there will be a forth book which I will happily snap up quickly. Mike Shevdon has succeeded in creating a world which captivates their audience and holds on to them until the end.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters continued to develop and kept their characteristics which haven't changed since the first book. Although some of the choices the characters made frustrated me as I could tell something would go wrong, I could happily read this series again.
If I'm honest, I really hope this isn't the last book. There are things that need explaining and loose ends that need tying up so I am hoping there will be a forth book which I will happily snap up quickly. Mike Shevdon has succeeded in creating a world which captivates their audience and holds on to them until the end.
June 21, 2012
Mike Shevdon delivers once again!
Kicking off from where The Road to Bedlam left off, Strangeness finds Niall cleaning up after the Porton Down episode at the close of that book.
His daughter, Alex, becomes a protagonist in this volume and to well-written effect.
Once again, the Courts of the Feyre will never be the same following the events that unfold here.
And now we hunker down to await the fourth and final volume in the series....
Kicking off from where The Road to Bedlam left off, Strangeness finds Niall cleaning up after the Porton Down episode at the close of that book.
His daughter, Alex, becomes a protagonist in this volume and to well-written effect.
Once again, the Courts of the Feyre will never be the same following the events that unfold here.
And now we hunker down to await the fourth and final volume in the series....
August 17, 2012
The third book in the Courts of the Feyre series is, I think, the strongest of the three. This is due mainly to the changes in point of view -- where the first two books were exclusively from Niall's POV, this one alternates back and forth between Niall and his daughter.
I'm not sure whether Shevdon intends to continue the series, but some things are hinted at while the story wraps up in the last chapters that could be the basis for additional novels. Indeed, there is a lot of focus on a prophecy that doesn't seem to have any actual bearing on the events of this novel.
All in all, this is an enjoyable bit of urban fantasy.
I'm not sure whether Shevdon intends to continue the series, but some things are hinted at while the story wraps up in the last chapters that could be the basis for additional novels. Indeed, there is a lot of focus on a prophecy that doesn't seem to have any actual bearing on the events of this novel.
All in all, this is an enjoyable bit of urban fantasy.
May 18, 2015
Strangeness and Charm, book #3 in the Courts of the Feyre, is the readily predictable next step in the series. While not packing any surprises, it's a fun read that disappoints in only one significant area. Specifically, Shevdon is a great writer, and his publisher Angry Robot (a member of the Osprey Group) does this work, its author, and readers a great disservice in producing a book so riddled with typographical errors, repeated words, and grammatical mistakes. When the errors get in the way of the storytelling, it's time to revisit the press' editorial practices. With luck, this didn't go unnoticed by the author, reviewers, and others and will be addressed by Angry Robot.
November 25, 2013
Terribly tedious to read.
Shallow characters all round unless you count depictions of annoying people as character building.
Main character is annoying and clueless, keeps messing up and talks too much. Constantly giving excuses. Things you find in people you dislike in real life. Not good for a main character.
His daughter - if I wanted to read about teenage issues and rebellion I would read another book.
Too much filler material and the plot is so simple.
Lots of prose repetition.
Destroyed the series for me.
Shallow characters all round unless you count depictions of annoying people as character building.
Main character is annoying and clueless, keeps messing up and talks too much. Constantly giving excuses. Things you find in people you dislike in real life. Not good for a main character.
His daughter - if I wanted to read about teenage issues and rebellion I would read another book.
Too much filler material and the plot is so simple.
Lots of prose repetition.
Destroyed the series for me.
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