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The Fair Folk
From prize-winning author Su Bristow comes a fascinating coming-of-age novel about magic and the choices that define future generations.
It’s 1959. To eight-year-old Felicity—who lives on a dying farm in England—the fairies in the woods have much more to offer than the people in her everyday life. As she becomes more rooted in their world, she learns that their magic is far from safe. Their queen, Elfrida, offers Felicity a gift. But fairy bargains are never what they seem.
As an adult, Felicity leaves for university. Unfortunately, books are not her only company at Elfrida and Hobb—the queen’s constant companions—wield the ability to appear at any time, causing havoc in her new friendships and love life. Desperate, Felicity finally begins to explore the true nature of the Fair Folk and their magic. Her ally, the folklorist Professor Edgerley, asks, ‘What do they want from you?’ The answer lies in the distant past, and in the secrets of her own family.
As the consequences of the “gift” play out, Felicity must draw on her courage to confront Elfrida, and make the right choice. Interwoven with traditional stories and striking characters, The Fair Folk poses questions about how we care for our children, our land, and our love-hate relationship with what we desire most.
It’s 1959. To eight-year-old Felicity—who lives on a dying farm in England—the fairies in the woods have much more to offer than the people in her everyday life. As she becomes more rooted in their world, she learns that their magic is far from safe. Their queen, Elfrida, offers Felicity a gift. But fairy bargains are never what they seem.
As an adult, Felicity leaves for university. Unfortunately, books are not her only company at Elfrida and Hobb—the queen’s constant companions—wield the ability to appear at any time, causing havoc in her new friendships and love life. Desperate, Felicity finally begins to explore the true nature of the Fair Folk and their magic. Her ally, the folklorist Professor Edgerley, asks, ‘What do they want from you?’ The answer lies in the distant past, and in the secrets of her own family.
As the consequences of the “gift” play out, Felicity must draw on her courage to confront Elfrida, and make the right choice. Interwoven with traditional stories and striking characters, The Fair Folk poses questions about how we care for our children, our land, and our love-hate relationship with what we desire most.
462 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 23, 2024
61 people are currently reading
1825 people want to read
About the author
Su Bristow
3 books59 followersSu Bristow is a consultant medical herbalist by day. She's the author of two books on herbal medicine: The Herbal Medicine Chest and The Herb Handbook; and two on relationship skills: The Courage to Love and Falling in Love, Staying in Love, co-written with psychotherapist, Malcolm Stern. Her published fiction includes 'Troll Steps' (in the anthology, Barcelona to Bihar), and 'Changes' which came second in the 2010 Creative Writing Matters flash fiction competition. Sealskin is set in the Hebrides, and it's a reworking of the Scottish and Nordic legend of the selkies, or seals who can turn into people. It won the Exeter Novel Prize 2013. Her writing has been described as 'magical realism; Angela Carter meets Eowyn Ivey'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
March 24, 2024
The Fair Folk tells the story of Felicity and her dealings with fairies. The first two parts are about her as a young girl, aged 8-10, as she meets fairies in the woods. She is awed by them and their magic and longs to stay, but is told she cannot. The next four parts are about Felicity as a university student. Two of the fairies - Elfrida and Hob - are still with her, following her on her adventures. Meanwhile, she meets a professor with whom she attempts to learn more about the fairies - and what they want from her.
The first two parts were the strongest and most interesting to me. I cared most about the characters introduced in these first two parts, as well. Most of this novel, however, is centered around Felicity's life as a university student - her studies, her romance with the young actor Sebastian, and her dealings with the fairies and trying to discover more about them.
I thought this was an entertaining read - particularly for those interested in the fair folk and the myths and legends surrounding them!
The first two parts were the strongest and most interesting to me. I cared most about the characters introduced in these first two parts, as well. Most of this novel, however, is centered around Felicity's life as a university student - her studies, her romance with the young actor Sebastian, and her dealings with the fairies and trying to discover more about them.
I thought this was an entertaining read - particularly for those interested in the fair folk and the myths and legends surrounding them!
May 6, 2024
4.5 rounded up
This was a gorgeous magical bookclub gathering befitting the fairy lore of Su Bristow’s The Fair Folk.
This was a difficult one for Bookclub because there were those of us who really loved this book (me! 4.5 ⭐️), those who felt it was mid and slow, and just as many who didn’t manage to finish it at all.
I was tasked with attempting to summarize the story for those who DNFed and it was nearly impossible, I was sweating, because everything special and dear about this book is in the details. One cannot simply sum it all up. But here we go again…
The Fair Folk is about a young neglected girl Felicity who grows up on a farm in the UK and searching for somewhere to belong finds it in the forest surrounding her property. The land of the fae, but a darker more unsettling version more attuned to the folklore passed down over the years (some of which are included here) giving very The Labyrinth vibes. She grows up in a tentative friendship with the leader of the fae Elfrieda and her little goblin-like crony Hob—but as one bookclub member’s grandma used to stress—you cannot trust the fairy folk. Their ends and means are theirs alone.
We follow Felicity through her childhood, family dysfunction and tragedy, to Cambridge and come to find the bargains she’s been forced to strike to get where she is. When she falls in love and thrives at school she begins to see a future for herself, but what did she promise the fae as a child, who actually are they, and what do they really want from her?
I adored this book—I didn’t find it too slow besides a bit in the middle which as @ewmrn aptly described was giving Sally Rooney. I loved the lore, the details and how everything, family history and all, came together in the end. I really loved the character Hob he reminded me a lot of Dobby but more mischievous and unhinged. I loved just about everything except the end felt like it was edited to leave some pertinent info out and so wasn’t completely satisfying… but I still teared up.
This might be my fave bookclub read yet but it was definitely polarizing. I’d highly recommend for fans of folklore, fairy folk and slower burn character driven stories.
This was a gorgeous magical bookclub gathering befitting the fairy lore of Su Bristow’s The Fair Folk.
This was a difficult one for Bookclub because there were those of us who really loved this book (me! 4.5 ⭐️), those who felt it was mid and slow, and just as many who didn’t manage to finish it at all.
I was tasked with attempting to summarize the story for those who DNFed and it was nearly impossible, I was sweating, because everything special and dear about this book is in the details. One cannot simply sum it all up. But here we go again…
The Fair Folk is about a young neglected girl Felicity who grows up on a farm in the UK and searching for somewhere to belong finds it in the forest surrounding her property. The land of the fae, but a darker more unsettling version more attuned to the folklore passed down over the years (some of which are included here) giving very The Labyrinth vibes. She grows up in a tentative friendship with the leader of the fae Elfrieda and her little goblin-like crony Hob—but as one bookclub member’s grandma used to stress—you cannot trust the fairy folk. Their ends and means are theirs alone.
We follow Felicity through her childhood, family dysfunction and tragedy, to Cambridge and come to find the bargains she’s been forced to strike to get where she is. When she falls in love and thrives at school she begins to see a future for herself, but what did she promise the fae as a child, who actually are they, and what do they really want from her?
I adored this book—I didn’t find it too slow besides a bit in the middle which as @ewmrn aptly described was giving Sally Rooney. I loved the lore, the details and how everything, family history and all, came together in the end. I really loved the character Hob he reminded me a lot of Dobby but more mischievous and unhinged. I loved just about everything except the end felt like it was edited to leave some pertinent info out and so wasn’t completely satisfying… but I still teared up.
This might be my fave bookclub read yet but it was definitely polarizing. I’d highly recommend for fans of folklore, fairy folk and slower burn character driven stories.
January 9, 2024
The Fair Folk is a romance - not the lovey-dovey kind, but a darker one - between a woman and the magic from her childhood (in this case taking form as the fae). It takes a careful examination of how childhood magic fits - or doesn’t fit - into reality with a bittersweet ending. There were so many twists and turns I did not expect that kept you guessing at how it will all end. Also about why it all happened in the first place.
I really enjoyed the folktale-like writing style of the book. It fit with the theme and made the story that much more symbolic and meaningful. The way the different parts broke up the story and text gave a very smooth, low-key reading experience. A slight contrast to the darker themes happening in the novel.
I am always surprised when I like a contemporary novel as it is not my normal genre, and I was happy to have greatly enjoyed this one. The contrast of fantasy merging into reality was fascinating. As an avid reader fantasy often merges into my reality, so I could relate. And even if your life is not filled with fantasy in any sense, I think everyone can find the contrast of childhood idealism and plodding adulthood an interesting, relatable theme to explore.
I really enjoyed the folktale-like writing style of the book. It fit with the theme and made the story that much more symbolic and meaningful. The way the different parts broke up the story and text gave a very smooth, low-key reading experience. A slight contrast to the darker themes happening in the novel.
I am always surprised when I like a contemporary novel as it is not my normal genre, and I was happy to have greatly enjoyed this one. The contrast of fantasy merging into reality was fascinating. As an avid reader fantasy often merges into my reality, so I could relate. And even if your life is not filled with fantasy in any sense, I think everyone can find the contrast of childhood idealism and plodding adulthood an interesting, relatable theme to explore.
February 9, 2024
Felicity is 8 years old the first time They appear to her. Led by their “queen’ Elfrida, they entice Felicity and welcome her into their fairy circle, showing her all the things she had dreamed of and never dared to hope for. In The Fair Folk by Su Bristow we follow 8 year old Felicity all the way to Cambridge University, but so do her fairy friends. Her childhood fantasies are not so easily put aside. Felicity leads many lives in this story. She is the only daughter of farmers tending to an outdated farm, in an expiring way of life. She is the consort of fairies, becoming something entirely “other” each night that they call for her. She is the poor relation of relatives who live in town. She is the smartest girl in school, and later the enthusiastic and frugal Cambridge student.
While the fairies and their mischief are an ongoing presence driving this narrative, it is the everyday world of Felicity that draws you in. How she navigates her private life of glamour and wonder, with the day to day obligations of family, and the joy she finds in her education. The big decision she makes early on in life, drives the rest of the narrative because of what it means to her relationship with the fairies, but also because of what it means to how she has chosen to live. To the kind of person she has chosen to be. She constantly refers to that decision as having decided who she was going to be, and it is a fixed point in her story, a choice that cannot be faulted by the reader. Had she chosen otherwise, she would have been a disappointment.
Choice, and the illusion of choice are given a lot of exploration in this narrative. Showing choices from the poor farmer’s daughter, to the privileged Cambridge classmates, even the choices of the fairies themselves alongside the mortals who consort with them. There are three notable stories in the book that highlight the choices available to young women. While we focus on Felicity, who is able to break societal norms and attend university for advancement rather than just a broader marriage pool, we also see Alys who was raped and bore a child that was stolen from her, and cousin Angie whose only dream in life is to marry well and tend a home of her own. Felicity is on the narrowest path, but none of the women are maligned for the choices they make, or for those forced upon them. It is an extraordinary thing that Bristow has done with the tales of these three women, three branches of the exact same path with no blame on the women.
Despite her desire for the glamoured world of the fairies, Felicity is grounded in the earth she grew up on. When she is at Cambridge and interacting with other scholars of a higher social standing, she often compares what they know of the world to the real earth that she knows. She is extremely perceptive about where she comes from and how she interacts with this new world. Perhaps it is her knowledge of illusion that allows her to see through mortals so well. Bristow gives her voice an authority and wisdom far beyond her years, even as she tries desperately to navigate a life within and without the fairy kingdom.
Her involvement with Professor Edgerley, a folklorist, who himself is an ardent seeker of fairies, helps Felicity to order her thoughts, and enables her to think about the fairy world in a more clinical way. He helps her to ask and navigate the question “What do they want from you?” It enables her to see her life more clearly and to process what is happening to her. As the consequences of her choices and of the “gift” she has been given play out over the years, Felicity learns how to navigate her relationship with Elfrida, until she is able to steer herself instead of being steered. Bristow weaves in several traditional stories of fairydom along the way, each with a slight bearing on the story of Felicity, we also see other illustrations of what fairies appear to be, and how they are accepted (or not) through the interactions with the Professor and his students. When you finally hear the Professor’s own story, your heart breaks several times over for the children affected by interactions with the fairy world.
In fact The Fair Folk poses many questions about how we care for our children, and how that plays out against our own desires. Felicity wonders infrequently about the desires of her parents and relatives, but the voice that Bristow gives them in those moments, speaks far louder about them than Felicity’s throwaway thoughts. Ultimately, parents want better for their children than they had and this desire plays out in many different ways across the relationships in this book. When you are able to glimpse into the world of her parents a little more, you discover such depth and love. Even the oft maligned aunt and uncle receive sympathetic glances from Felicity at key moments. None of the people she encounters are made monstrous, probably because she knows what real monstrosity is.
Aside from my natural inclination for fairy stories, I was surprised to find myself enjoying one of the tertiary storylines far more than I would have expected. Bristow spends much time throughout each part of Felicity’s journey talking about the family farm. You learn its history in increments, from the people who live there, and from the fairies that have visited the family for generations. You see the difference between the two brothers, her father and uncle, one who chose to tend the farm, and one to leave for town life. The changing nature of farming in England is its own character in the tale, one that I had never given much thought to outside of reading Thomas Hardy and George Eliot, but which Bristow brings beautifully to life. The transformation of British farms from small, mixed-use holdings, self-sustaining worlds, into a corporation; single use farms being the only way to drive a profit. It brings to mind some of the themes of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles in the way people and societies are changed by the changing farm mechanisms around them, the imagery employed is very similar.
Images: Penguin Classic and Europa Editions
The development of the landscape as viewed by Elfrida and her group also offers a startling image of what is happening to mortal society as a whole, wrought by the changes of industry and gentrification. I had never considered taking a story like this and viewing what the fairies see concerning the passing of time and changes in the mortal realm. I very much like that Bristow has crafted this in a way that makes you approach from this vantage point. Elfrida’s thoughts on the changing human world are something that I had never considered. It reminded me of Jack Harkness’s throwaway comment in Doctor Who that the rain on earth has started to taste of birth control medicine. What does a truly foreign being view of the world we have created.
At the end of Felicity’s story, the summation of each intertwined storyline felt rather rushed. Inevitable I suppose, given the pace and depth of the story as a whole, but the rush also made the vagueness of the ending feel unwritten instead of open-ended. However, my disappointment in the feel of the end of the book does not mar my experience of the book as a whole. This is a book to be savored, not rushed through and I feel that it will only improve upon a second or third reading, such is the depth of each and every character that Bristow has woven together. I may even find that time and re-reading alters my perception of the ending, just as Felicity’s perceptions were changed throughout the book.
The Fair Folk is the second novel by British writer Su Bristow. Bristow is a medical herbalist by day and the author of two books on herbal medicine: The Herbal Medicine Chest and The Herb Handbook. Her first novel, Sealskin, is a reworking of the Scottish legend of the selkies (seals who can turn into people). It won the Exeter Novel Prize 2013. The Fair Folk was released by Europa Editions on January 23, 2024.
While the fairies and their mischief are an ongoing presence driving this narrative, it is the everyday world of Felicity that draws you in. How she navigates her private life of glamour and wonder, with the day to day obligations of family, and the joy she finds in her education. The big decision she makes early on in life, drives the rest of the narrative because of what it means to her relationship with the fairies, but also because of what it means to how she has chosen to live. To the kind of person she has chosen to be. She constantly refers to that decision as having decided who she was going to be, and it is a fixed point in her story, a choice that cannot be faulted by the reader. Had she chosen otherwise, she would have been a disappointment.
Choice, and the illusion of choice are given a lot of exploration in this narrative. Showing choices from the poor farmer’s daughter, to the privileged Cambridge classmates, even the choices of the fairies themselves alongside the mortals who consort with them. There are three notable stories in the book that highlight the choices available to young women. While we focus on Felicity, who is able to break societal norms and attend university for advancement rather than just a broader marriage pool, we also see Alys who was raped and bore a child that was stolen from her, and cousin Angie whose only dream in life is to marry well and tend a home of her own. Felicity is on the narrowest path, but none of the women are maligned for the choices they make, or for those forced upon them. It is an extraordinary thing that Bristow has done with the tales of these three women, three branches of the exact same path with no blame on the women.
Despite her desire for the glamoured world of the fairies, Felicity is grounded in the earth she grew up on. When she is at Cambridge and interacting with other scholars of a higher social standing, she often compares what they know of the world to the real earth that she knows. She is extremely perceptive about where she comes from and how she interacts with this new world. Perhaps it is her knowledge of illusion that allows her to see through mortals so well. Bristow gives her voice an authority and wisdom far beyond her years, even as she tries desperately to navigate a life within and without the fairy kingdom.
Her involvement with Professor Edgerley, a folklorist, who himself is an ardent seeker of fairies, helps Felicity to order her thoughts, and enables her to think about the fairy world in a more clinical way. He helps her to ask and navigate the question “What do they want from you?” It enables her to see her life more clearly and to process what is happening to her. As the consequences of her choices and of the “gift” she has been given play out over the years, Felicity learns how to navigate her relationship with Elfrida, until she is able to steer herself instead of being steered. Bristow weaves in several traditional stories of fairydom along the way, each with a slight bearing on the story of Felicity, we also see other illustrations of what fairies appear to be, and how they are accepted (or not) through the interactions with the Professor and his students. When you finally hear the Professor’s own story, your heart breaks several times over for the children affected by interactions with the fairy world.
In fact The Fair Folk poses many questions about how we care for our children, and how that plays out against our own desires. Felicity wonders infrequently about the desires of her parents and relatives, but the voice that Bristow gives them in those moments, speaks far louder about them than Felicity’s throwaway thoughts. Ultimately, parents want better for their children than they had and this desire plays out in many different ways across the relationships in this book. When you are able to glimpse into the world of her parents a little more, you discover such depth and love. Even the oft maligned aunt and uncle receive sympathetic glances from Felicity at key moments. None of the people she encounters are made monstrous, probably because she knows what real monstrosity is.
Aside from my natural inclination for fairy stories, I was surprised to find myself enjoying one of the tertiary storylines far more than I would have expected. Bristow spends much time throughout each part of Felicity’s journey talking about the family farm. You learn its history in increments, from the people who live there, and from the fairies that have visited the family for generations. You see the difference between the two brothers, her father and uncle, one who chose to tend the farm, and one to leave for town life. The changing nature of farming in England is its own character in the tale, one that I had never given much thought to outside of reading Thomas Hardy and George Eliot, but which Bristow brings beautifully to life. The transformation of British farms from small, mixed-use holdings, self-sustaining worlds, into a corporation; single use farms being the only way to drive a profit. It brings to mind some of the themes of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles in the way people and societies are changed by the changing farm mechanisms around them, the imagery employed is very similar.
Images: Penguin Classic and Europa Editions
The development of the landscape as viewed by Elfrida and her group also offers a startling image of what is happening to mortal society as a whole, wrought by the changes of industry and gentrification. I had never considered taking a story like this and viewing what the fairies see concerning the passing of time and changes in the mortal realm. I very much like that Bristow has crafted this in a way that makes you approach from this vantage point. Elfrida’s thoughts on the changing human world are something that I had never considered. It reminded me of Jack Harkness’s throwaway comment in Doctor Who that the rain on earth has started to taste of birth control medicine. What does a truly foreign being view of the world we have created.
At the end of Felicity’s story, the summation of each intertwined storyline felt rather rushed. Inevitable I suppose, given the pace and depth of the story as a whole, but the rush also made the vagueness of the ending feel unwritten instead of open-ended. However, my disappointment in the feel of the end of the book does not mar my experience of the book as a whole. This is a book to be savored, not rushed through and I feel that it will only improve upon a second or third reading, such is the depth of each and every character that Bristow has woven together. I may even find that time and re-reading alters my perception of the ending, just as Felicity’s perceptions were changed throughout the book.
The Fair Folk is the second novel by British writer Su Bristow. Bristow is a medical herbalist by day and the author of two books on herbal medicine: The Herbal Medicine Chest and The Herb Handbook. Her first novel, Sealskin, is a reworking of the Scottish legend of the selkies (seals who can turn into people). It won the Exeter Novel Prize 2013. The Fair Folk was released by Europa Editions on January 23, 2024.
April 29, 2024
Started 2.5, but after discussion moved to 3!
February 6, 2024
As a child, Felicity often escapes into the forest at the edge of her family’s farm to visit a boisterous fairy troupe and their elusive Queen Elfrida. She makes the tragic mistake of inviting them into her home, learning just how cruel and cunning fairies can be. A bargain with Elfrida results in her companions following her to college at Cambridge where they wreak havoc on her social and romantic life. This is where Felicity meets a professor who is also able to see the fay and helps her learn the true price of magic.
I adored this story that brilliantly blends fantasy, history, mystery, and romance! It’s a charming, warm hug of a read with a dangerous undercurrent. Felicity is an extraordinary heroine—wholesome and compassionate with a strong head on her shoulders. As Felicity grows older, she uncovers long-buried family secrets and is able to empathize with the fairies despite everything they put her through. Reading The Fair Folk felt like stepping through a hidden doorway to a magical fairy realm and I can’t recommend it enough.
I adored this story that brilliantly blends fantasy, history, mystery, and romance! It’s a charming, warm hug of a read with a dangerous undercurrent. Felicity is an extraordinary heroine—wholesome and compassionate with a strong head on her shoulders. As Felicity grows older, she uncovers long-buried family secrets and is able to empathize with the fairies despite everything they put her through. Reading The Fair Folk felt like stepping through a hidden doorway to a magical fairy realm and I can’t recommend it enough.
June 5, 2024
2.5 rounded down. The amount of time given to the relationship between Felicity and Sebastian was way too much; nothing in the description gave an indication that so much of the story would be about her relationship. I thought there were a lot of plot holes (missing information?) and felt I had to piece things together as I read. The ending was completely confusing; I am still not totally sure what happened, why or how. I also found Felicity's character to be not-believable at some points, given what would have been age appropriate for a college-going student. Non-existent development from being an 8-10 year old to college young woman. I also found it hard to understand how Felicity felt about Elfrida. (Tone was sometimes hard to discern.) I did like what she learned about the Fair Folk and how they came to be; I'd say that was the most interesting part of the whole story.
March 15, 2024
Magical and moving, beautifully told.
March 30, 2024
I was so happy while reading it and so sad when it was over. Probably the sweetest and most earnest book I’ve ever read
December 14, 2024
I liked the concept of this story a lot. I think the first part could have been edited down a bit but overall I enjoyed this read.
December 17, 2024
Beautiful cover on this book, btw--actually has a very similar color scheme to The Bright Sword, which I felt had similar ¬vibes¬ so maybe someone decided at book publishing club that all books about British Fair Folk and the tug between the real world and the shine of the fae should be a blue toned vibe? That being said, while that book is just blue, this book has a gorgeous, evocative cover that weaves together all the various themes of the novel--little Felicity on the bottom left, older Felicity on the right, both of them instantly distinguishable by their fire red hair but unaware, buried in a book. They're settled against trees on the edge of rolling fields, their childhood farmhouse home in the distance. And above it all, entwined with the forest, looking beautiful and looming, is Elfrida, the Queen of the troupe of Fair Folk in the woods nearest Felicity, whose presence and actions turn the wheel of this eldritch, moving book.
We begin this book when Felicity is eight, forever running away into the forest despite her parents' attempts to keep her occupied with chores and fence her in with wire. She has a blanket and a book, and patience, and it's rewarded (albeit sporadically, without much rhyme or reason) with visits with the Folk. There, she's not the scrawny, nerdy daughter of a failing farm that really needed a son, bullied at school and misunderstood by her parents. She's beautiful, and part of the fun and a co-conspirator in the mischief. Even though she knows--everyone knows--that the Fair Folk are not to be trusted, Felicity begs again and again to be allowed to stay, to be allowed to return, promising anything and everything.
Eventually we've flipped forward--Felicity is an undergrad now, studying folklore at Cambridge, and has a secret only she can know: whenever they choose, Elfrida (and her trusty sidekick Hob) can pop up and experience life with her. And while you'd think this an inconvenience, Felicity can't help but think of how much grander and richer things are in the faerie world, how much more vibrant and...shiny, really, all things are.
I'm doing a really terrible job of providing the right amount of plot context for this novel, so I'll stop short and try instead to describe the themes and issues that it struggles with. Felicity, all of 22, struggles with how to live and thrive and enjoy the real world after having been given a glimpse of the wonders that exist just beyond, where you never have to worry and everything is always provided for. Once could compare it, perhaps, to a semi-kicked drug habit, wherein she can't really understand why, if it's under control, she needs to stop. She can stop at any point, after all, never mind that Elfrida has a mind of her own and Felicity knows its not a mind she has understood. And there are entire stretches of time where, enveloped in first loves and books and studying and friends who actually understand her, Felicity doesn't even think about Them.
But there's also a worrying thread--that Felicity, naive to the world, is too innocent and trusting of those around her. Elfrida cares for her, right? Yes, and then no, and then yes, and then no, until even we as readers are uncertain. Who's the ones to trust, when the world is cold and uncaring and even downright awful at times? Would you take the opportunity to leave it all behind for a permanently sunlit kingdom beyond, even if you didn't know what exactly that entailed? Does it matter if you make the choice entirely of your own will?
For how much I liked this book, this review sounds like...well, it sounds like I've been faerie bewitched. And perhaps I have :)
We begin this book when Felicity is eight, forever running away into the forest despite her parents' attempts to keep her occupied with chores and fence her in with wire. She has a blanket and a book, and patience, and it's rewarded (albeit sporadically, without much rhyme or reason) with visits with the Folk. There, she's not the scrawny, nerdy daughter of a failing farm that really needed a son, bullied at school and misunderstood by her parents. She's beautiful, and part of the fun and a co-conspirator in the mischief. Even though she knows--everyone knows--that the Fair Folk are not to be trusted, Felicity begs again and again to be allowed to stay, to be allowed to return, promising anything and everything.
Eventually we've flipped forward--Felicity is an undergrad now, studying folklore at Cambridge, and has a secret only she can know: whenever they choose, Elfrida (and her trusty sidekick Hob) can pop up and experience life with her. And while you'd think this an inconvenience, Felicity can't help but think of how much grander and richer things are in the faerie world, how much more vibrant and...shiny, really, all things are.
I'm doing a really terrible job of providing the right amount of plot context for this novel, so I'll stop short and try instead to describe the themes and issues that it struggles with. Felicity, all of 22, struggles with how to live and thrive and enjoy the real world after having been given a glimpse of the wonders that exist just beyond, where you never have to worry and everything is always provided for. Once could compare it, perhaps, to a semi-kicked drug habit, wherein she can't really understand why, if it's under control, she needs to stop. She can stop at any point, after all, never mind that Elfrida has a mind of her own and Felicity knows its not a mind she has understood. And there are entire stretches of time where, enveloped in first loves and books and studying and friends who actually understand her, Felicity doesn't even think about Them.
But there's also a worrying thread--that Felicity, naive to the world, is too innocent and trusting of those around her. Elfrida cares for her, right? Yes, and then no, and then yes, and then no, until even we as readers are uncertain. Who's the ones to trust, when the world is cold and uncaring and even downright awful at times? Would you take the opportunity to leave it all behind for a permanently sunlit kingdom beyond, even if you didn't know what exactly that entailed? Does it matter if you make the choice entirely of your own will?
For how much I liked this book, this review sounds like...well, it sounds like I've been faerie bewitched. And perhaps I have :)
December 23, 2024
I don’t often stick with a book that takes me over a month to read, but I’m glad I persevered in this case. I do think that it was much too long, and several sections really dragged and made me question why I was still reading. That being said, everything did come together in the end, and I believe this is overall a rich, heartfelt story that made me think about fairy lore in a new way.
March 10, 2025
4.5 rounded up. Though the first part felt very dark once she went to university it really picked up for me and I’m glad I was able to read the end on a quiet Sunday afternoon when I could fly through it. Loved the ending.
April 7, 2025
Genuinely this book deserves more attention. It’s very slow paced and character driven if you like that sort of thing. Has lots of themes surrounding industrialization’s effects on nature and healing from tragedy. I wasn’t so sure about it near the middle but then it became clear this was the fae version of dead children’s media and helping the lost find rest and boy am I a sucker for those kinds of stories.
May 20, 2024
this book was…just ok…I like the concept was it was kinda all over the place and there was no hard endong and the “twist” was shocking I guess but not unseen.
May 14, 2025
I wanted to love this book. It had so much potential. But a couple things ruined it for me.
1. The romance, which was not even hinted at in the cover blurb and thus I didn’t know I had signed up for. Usually when I dislike a romance, it’s because I don’t find the love between the characters believable — I don’t understand WHY they love each other. In this case, I think the “why” was properly fleshed out but I just didn’t CARE. I wanted more mystery solving and more fairies.
2. Inconsistencies.
— The story starts out with Felicity at 8 years old in summer 1959. After the time skip, she is 19 in autumn 1967. Even accounting for an extra birthday in there, she would be at most 17.
— Random capitalization. If you want to do that for words that wouldn’t usually be capitalized, then you should do it every time. In this case, They, Them (when referring to Fair Folk) and Professor should always be capitalized.
— Switching between past and present tense within the same paragraph. Also, the switch from first person before the time skip to third after the time skip for no apparent reason as we’re still inside only Felicity’s head.
3. This is 150 pages too long for the plot.
That said, the writing is beautiful and the scant plot is pretty neat.
1. The romance, which was not even hinted at in the cover blurb and thus I didn’t know I had signed up for. Usually when I dislike a romance, it’s because I don’t find the love between the characters believable — I don’t understand WHY they love each other. In this case, I think the “why” was properly fleshed out but I just didn’t CARE. I wanted more mystery solving and more fairies.
2. Inconsistencies.
— The story starts out with Felicity at 8 years old in summer 1959. After the time skip, she is 19 in autumn 1967. Even accounting for an extra birthday in there, she would be at most 17.
— Random capitalization. If you want to do that for words that wouldn’t usually be capitalized, then you should do it every time. In this case, They, Them (when referring to Fair Folk) and Professor should always be capitalized.
— Switching between past and present tense within the same paragraph. Also, the switch from first person before the time skip to third after the time skip for no apparent reason as we’re still inside only Felicity’s head.
3. This is 150 pages too long for the plot.
That said, the writing is beautiful and the scant plot is pretty neat.
November 4, 2024
What a book! There were parts I liked and parts I didn’t, some that had me entranced and others painfully slow that couldn’t hold my attention. Overall it took me longer to read than most books, especially those I “like”. But this story is going to stick with me.
The quote on the cover says “a fairytale with teeth and truth to it,” and I couldn’t think of a better description for it. Despite being about faeries and magic, this book was grounded in human feelings and the drudgery of life. With the backdrop of the slow death of traditional farming in a modern world, it still feels relatable, meditating on the uncomfortable questions and changes everyone faces as they grow up. Su Bristol weaves together folktales and mythology beautifully, proving that the fair folk are anything but fair.
There are details that I’m sure I will revisit over and over again- like how goblins get their appearance- and themes that I’ll continue to mull over- like “your heart’s desire” / “deepest wish” has unexpected consequences and can change in as quickly as a day.
The quote on the cover says “a fairytale with teeth and truth to it,” and I couldn’t think of a better description for it. Despite being about faeries and magic, this book was grounded in human feelings and the drudgery of life. With the backdrop of the slow death of traditional farming in a modern world, it still feels relatable, meditating on the uncomfortable questions and changes everyone faces as they grow up. Su Bristol weaves together folktales and mythology beautifully, proving that the fair folk are anything but fair.
There are details that I’m sure I will revisit over and over again- like how goblins get their appearance- and themes that I’ll continue to mull over- like “your heart’s desire” / “deepest wish” has unexpected consequences and can change in as quickly as a day.
March 24, 2024
DNF at page 230. Liked the concept but the plot moved way too slow for my taste.
February 23, 2024
Reading this is like reading fanfic of a show you’ve never heard of, so the characters, background, and plot make no sense and you’re desperately confused the entire time.
I didn’t care for Felicity as a character. I found her to be, on the large, boring and uninteresting. The first and only time I actually admired her was the moment when she scraped her and Sebastian’s initials off of the wall at Cambridge. It demonstrated a level of self-worth, intelligence, and humanity that appears just once, at that moment.
I do not think that the transition from eight year old Felicity to eighteen year old Felicity was handled well. Felicity’s world didn’t feel fleshed out, and I felt claustrophobic and anxious while reading this book. She developed a new personality, new interests, new backstory- all of which is normal for a person transitioning adolescence to adulthood, but there was no context to any of the changes in her personality. The “deal” she made with Elfrida and Hob was confusing and- again- never fully explained. I felt as though I was attempting to play Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and I had just learned what music was.
The Fair Folk made me despise reading. I dreaded reading this. I carted it everywhere in the hopes that I would be tempted to pick it up and continue, but if there was something else to do, I was nowhere near this book. I had to sit down and force myself to read it. I’m glad I finished, though, because now I know that I do not want to read this again. And even though the ending didn’t really make sense (when and where did Felicity get the knowledge she needed to free Elfrida?) it was just this quiet, bittersweet finish that invoked relief more than the warm and fuzzies, which is what I think Su Bristol was trying to evoke throughout the whole damn book.
It took me a month to get through this, and I think that speaks for itself. How could something so beautiful be so twisted and ugly? But then again, that is the point of this story. How beautifully did Su illustrate that point.
I didn’t care for Felicity as a character. I found her to be, on the large, boring and uninteresting. The first and only time I actually admired her was the moment when she scraped her and Sebastian’s initials off of the wall at Cambridge. It demonstrated a level of self-worth, intelligence, and humanity that appears just once, at that moment.
I do not think that the transition from eight year old Felicity to eighteen year old Felicity was handled well. Felicity’s world didn’t feel fleshed out, and I felt claustrophobic and anxious while reading this book. She developed a new personality, new interests, new backstory- all of which is normal for a person transitioning adolescence to adulthood, but there was no context to any of the changes in her personality. The “deal” she made with Elfrida and Hob was confusing and- again- never fully explained. I felt as though I was attempting to play Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and I had just learned what music was.
The Fair Folk made me despise reading. I dreaded reading this. I carted it everywhere in the hopes that I would be tempted to pick it up and continue, but if there was something else to do, I was nowhere near this book. I had to sit down and force myself to read it. I’m glad I finished, though, because now I know that I do not want to read this again. And even though the ending didn’t really make sense (when and where did Felicity get the knowledge she needed to free Elfrida?) it was just this quiet, bittersweet finish that invoked relief more than the warm and fuzzies, which is what I think Su Bristol was trying to evoke throughout the whole damn book.
It took me a month to get through this, and I think that speaks for itself. How could something so beautiful be so twisted and ugly? But then again, that is the point of this story. How beautifully did Su illustrate that point.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2024
This is Su Bristow’s second novel; we have waited a long time since the unforgettable Sealskin, but the wait has, in every way, been worth it.
The Fair Folk is set in the real, 1960s world of Cambridge, & in what lies beyond & beneath. It is a true bildungsroman: the gifted, shy but infinitely curious Felicity grows up before our eyes & as we turn the pages of each flawlessly written, deliciously short chapter, we grow to love her every bit as much as she loves & longs to trust the remarkable, tricksy, demanding, utterly captivating titular characters.
Felicity is offered a gift, but quickly learns nothing is for nothing. A bargain comes with a price & choice isn’t always as black & white as we think. The dénouement blew me away – I wasn’t sure what I hoped for or wanted; I ended up with what I needed & more than satisfied.
This isn’t a fairytale per se, it is much more than that – it’s a journey through possibility; imaginative, intelligent & rooted in immaculate research. The Fair Folk asks us to suspend disbelief & immerse ourselves in the powerful world of Other. The liminal spaces of this otherworld evoke a sense of real magic – the ancient kind we have lost touch with & would do well to respect & be wary of. This book has left its imprint on me, like dust from a moth’s wing. Highly recommended.
The Fair Folk is set in the real, 1960s world of Cambridge, & in what lies beyond & beneath. It is a true bildungsroman: the gifted, shy but infinitely curious Felicity grows up before our eyes & as we turn the pages of each flawlessly written, deliciously short chapter, we grow to love her every bit as much as she loves & longs to trust the remarkable, tricksy, demanding, utterly captivating titular characters.
Felicity is offered a gift, but quickly learns nothing is for nothing. A bargain comes with a price & choice isn’t always as black & white as we think. The dénouement blew me away – I wasn’t sure what I hoped for or wanted; I ended up with what I needed & more than satisfied.
This isn’t a fairytale per se, it is much more than that – it’s a journey through possibility; imaginative, intelligent & rooted in immaculate research. The Fair Folk asks us to suspend disbelief & immerse ourselves in the powerful world of Other. The liminal spaces of this otherworld evoke a sense of real magic – the ancient kind we have lost touch with & would do well to respect & be wary of. This book has left its imprint on me, like dust from a moth’s wing. Highly recommended.
December 8, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ A beautifully written mix of woodland fairytale and dark academia, i really wanted to love this book! Presenting a strong lineup of F themes (fantasy, folklore, and fairies, respectfully) with many richly detailed walks in nature, I loved the first third and the last third was gripping. It manages to be both cozy and dark, balancing moments of warmth and childlike play, with heavier tones of loneliness and loss. All that said, I have some gripes—
1) the middle is so slow. It should be 100 pages shorter
2) there is a major romance plot, which was not mentioned on the back cover. for me, there was too much screentime with Sebastian that often felt aimless or not needed for plot or characters.
3) between tone, writing choices, and the time jump, I sometimes found Felicity’s feelings and POV obscure.
Overall, I enjoyed this read a lot. The reveals in the end are a worthwhile endeavor, and the beginning is incredibly magical. I love the themes, I love how dangerous the fairies feel throughout, and I enjoyed the many mini plots within the larger tale — sometimes it was just difficult to know where we were headed and why.
1) the middle is so slow. It should be 100 pages shorter
2) there is a major romance plot, which was not mentioned on the back cover. for me, there was too much screentime with Sebastian that often felt aimless or not needed for plot or characters.
3) between tone, writing choices, and the time jump, I sometimes found Felicity’s feelings and POV obscure.
Overall, I enjoyed this read a lot. The reveals in the end are a worthwhile endeavor, and the beginning is incredibly magical. I love the themes, I love how dangerous the fairies feel throughout, and I enjoyed the many mini plots within the larger tale — sometimes it was just difficult to know where we were headed and why.
April 19, 2024
I bought this book on a whim, walking by a bookstore after leaving a bar. Impressed by the beautiful cover and the synopsis, I read a page or two and brought it to the counter. What a wonderful book. The storytelling is plain and concise. There is not an extra word. It is not an adventure story, but a study of the people who seek adventures who may never experience one. A book about loneliness, and class, and a disappearing way of life. About those who are constantly overstimulated and surrounded by people, yet have little sense of imagination and wonder. That while we are told to seek out every possible diverse idea and expose ourselves to every possible circumstance, what really happens is that overpopulation becomes figurative and literal. We have little space to let our minds and our body wander, and that "our truth" means circling in a smaller and smaller fish bowl. This book was a retreat each time I picked it up, and one that caused me to lower it into my lap and think about its implications and uncomfortable observations. Worth every minute you spend reading it.
June 16, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the strong-willed and determined protagonist, and I loved the nature themes. Like the protagonist, I grew up running around in woods near our home and found magic there, though not the magic of fair folk. The fair folk seemed like a personification of the forest. They are the magic, enchantment, danger, and cruelty of the natural world all at once.
I really loved all the themes around wish fulfillment and enchantment. I'm coming away from the book thinking a lot about a few things. I'm thinking about "the shine" of our dreams, the beautiful promise of the things we wish for vs. the reality of those wishes come true. I'm also thinking about the people we find enchanting. What attracts us to such people? What do we really get out of knowing them? Are those relationships real? And finally, I'm thinking about the magic we find in the natural world and the deep loss we incur when natural places are gone. How much do we long for the magic of nature and where do we go looking for magic when our natural spaces are gone?
I really loved all the themes around wish fulfillment and enchantment. I'm coming away from the book thinking a lot about a few things. I'm thinking about "the shine" of our dreams, the beautiful promise of the things we wish for vs. the reality of those wishes come true. I'm also thinking about the people we find enchanting. What attracts us to such people? What do we really get out of knowing them? Are those relationships real? And finally, I'm thinking about the magic we find in the natural world and the deep loss we incur when natural places are gone. How much do we long for the magic of nature and where do we go looking for magic when our natural spaces are gone?
June 10, 2024
If I could give this 4.5 stars then I would! Really the only issue is that I felt like the plot was a little aimless and overly descriptive at times. But I would definitely recommend this book. The story goes some very interesting places. At one point it seems like a changeling story. But that gets solved very quickly and then the plot goes on to a whole host of other places. I like the way history is tied into the story as well. Occasionally the reader will get a folk tale that then relates to the current section of the story. Also, the author does a great job of dishing out the family stories from years past. The reader only finds those out when it becomes necessary. There is some very good tension in the character interactions. Felicity and her fairies take us around the emotional world with all kinds of problematic choices and their consequences. Be careful what you wish for!
March 7, 2024
I'm not generally a following of fantasy fiction but I enjoyed reading "The Fair Folk". I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it in a couple of days. Even without the fairy tale theme it's a beautifully written book, which evokes the feelings and tribulations of childhood and university life. It also describes the countryside and nature vividly.
The descriptions of the fair folk seemed a bit two dimentional at first - I didn't realize for several pages that they appeared as almost human sized- but their characters evolved and became more complex as the book progresses. What I found most interesting was the way that Felicity and Professor Edgerley began to analyse what was going on and provide explanations for their behaviour.
Be sure to read the introductions to each section. They are essential to make sense of what follows.
The descriptions of the fair folk seemed a bit two dimentional at first - I didn't realize for several pages that they appeared as almost human sized- but their characters evolved and became more complex as the book progresses. What I found most interesting was the way that Felicity and Professor Edgerley began to analyse what was going on and provide explanations for their behaviour.
Be sure to read the introductions to each section. They are essential to make sense of what follows.
March 10, 2024
In 'Sealskin', Bristow took a potent myth - that of the Selkies - and wove it into a living, breathing, burning human story. In 'The Fair Folk' she goes further, delving deep into the darkness that lies beneath mundane rural England, teasing out what strangeness still lurks there, and threading it through a compelling, coming of age narrative of 1960s Cambridge and 70s London, all the way into the 21st century. Throughout, the power and glamour of the world of faery seeps through, with dramatic results on its human recipients - some of them far from benign. It's magical realism in some ways, yes - but with a strength and depth of characterisation that is rare in such genres. And the denouement is as heart-rending as it is unpredictable. An extraordinarily powerful work, that will stay with you long after reading.
July 2, 2024
Thank you so much Edelweiss Plus and Europa Editions for this arc!
5/5 stars
This was a beautiful novel from start to finish. The prose was so lovely, and the settings were described so perfectly I felt like I was in a little den with Felicity, waiting for someone to come and love me too. This was so full of sadness in the most subtle ways at times. This is the kind of novel that has such perfectly moody melancholy settings I want to crawl into and live in, perfect fall cozy vibes. I love Felicitys character growth, from a child that just wants to run away to another world to a woman who is enjoying her life and wants to stay.I can't wait to reread this and undoubtedly pick up on things I missed the first time, and to read Su Bristow's other book! I need more of Bristow's beautiful prose in my life
5/5 stars
This was a beautiful novel from start to finish. The prose was so lovely, and the settings were described so perfectly I felt like I was in a little den with Felicity, waiting for someone to come and love me too. This was so full of sadness in the most subtle ways at times. This is the kind of novel that has such perfectly moody melancholy settings I want to crawl into and live in, perfect fall cozy vibes. I love Felicitys character growth, from a child that just wants to run away to another world to a woman who is enjoying her life and wants to stay.I can't wait to reread this and undoubtedly pick up on things I missed the first time, and to read Su Bristow's other book! I need more of Bristow's beautiful prose in my life
July 15, 2024
This was a slow, steady, but engaging story until it got to the last 30 pages and the ground fell out from under me with the twist that was introduced.
A really interesting take on fairies, and a very satisfying ending to it all.
And I have to say: all this time, I thought they were the "fair" folk on account of their beauty, not realizing it was meant as a hope that they would be less capricious and mean.(!) Learn something every day...
If you enjoyed this book, then I think you might like these as well:
~ The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue
~ Among Others by Jo Walton
~ Tam Lin by Pamela Dean
and
~ King of Morning, Queen of Day by Ian McDonald (if you can find it)
A really interesting take on fairies, and a very satisfying ending to it all.
And I have to say: all this time, I thought they were the "fair" folk on account of their beauty, not realizing it was meant as a hope that they would be less capricious and mean.(!) Learn something every day...
If you enjoyed this book, then I think you might like these as well:
~ The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue
~ Among Others by Jo Walton
~ Tam Lin by Pamela Dean
and
~ King of Morning, Queen of Day by Ian McDonald (if you can find it)
October 9, 2024
Wow. This is a surprisingly moving book with some marvelous passages and a sparkling use of language. Felicity Turner has been seeing fairies since she was a small child -- and when she is befriended by a fairy woman, Felicity has no way of knowing how this relationship will affect her and those around her. I don't want to say too much about the story because is is exiting and heartbreaking by turns. I know a book is good when I find myself a bit misty at the end. At the end, Felicity is not out of her twenties -- and I do hope that Su Bristow will continue her story. There seems to be much more to say. Felicity is a warm, sympathetic, insightful character. I hope we will see more of her. Even at over 400 pages, the book is a quick read, in part because I didn't want to put it down.
December 23, 2024
It's kind of hard to read a fairy book like this when you've read other fairy books. Every time Felicity said "wish" or "promise" or "I'll do anything" I had to remind myself that not only is she young and experiencing everything for the first time, she's not studied up on fairy lore. In her world the tales aren't told, as humans left the forest for town and the ones still in the countryside... they've got secrets of their own. I liked the Cambridge perspective as well, where she learns that the tales aren't even well known academically, because local folklore isn't a serious subject - but the folk revival is well underway.
Ultimately this felt like an elegy for disappearing landscapes and relationships with the land, beautifully done.
Ultimately this felt like an elegy for disappearing landscapes and relationships with the land, beautifully done.
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