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Gallow and Ragged #1
Trailer Park Fae
Jeremiah Gallow is just another construction worker, and that's the way he likes it. He's left his past behind, but some things cannot be erased. Like the tattoos on his arms that transform into a weapon, or that he was once closer to the Queen of Summer than any half-human should be.
Now the half-sidhe all in Summer once feared is dragged back into the world of enchantment, danger, and fickle fae - by a woman who looks uncannily like his dead wife. Her name is Robin, and her secrets are more than enough to get them both killed. A plague has come, the fullborn-fae are dying, and the dark answer to Summer's Court is breaking loose.
Be afraid, for Unwinter is riding...
Now the half-sidhe all in Summer once feared is dragged back into the world of enchantment, danger, and fickle fae - by a woman who looks uncannily like his dead wife. Her name is Robin, and her secrets are more than enough to get them both killed. A plague has come, the fullborn-fae are dying, and the dark answer to Summer's Court is breaking loose.
Be afraid, for Unwinter is riding...
312 pages, Paperback
First published June 23, 2015
182 people are currently reading
2892 people want to read
About the author
Lilith Saintcrow
132 books4,512 followersLilith Saintcrow was born in New Mexico, bounced around the world as a child, and fell in love with writing stories when she was ten years old. She and her library co-habitate in Vancouver, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 316 reviews
July 28, 2017
Lilith Saintcrow's blog was one of the few I read regularly, and I have fond memories of reading her Jill Kismet series Night Shift when vacationing in New Mexico. In the mood for urban fantasy, when I happened upon this at Half-Price Books, I thought I'd give it a try.
Alas.
Though I generally enjoy extravagant prose (Beagle, Kay, Valente), this is awful. Layered on and stretched thin (see what I'm doing there?), Saintcrow has traded in Spartan style for Valente on crack. I knew there would be trouble with the opening line: "Summer, soft green hills and shaded dells, lay breathless under a pall of smoky apple-blossom dusk."
Think on that a moment. Is it 'summer soft' with a misplaced comma? I suppose the season can lay breathless--it does get stiflingly hot--but then how does that 'soft green hills' clause make sense? And what is 'smoky apple-blossom dusk? Aren't apple blossoms white and pink shaded? I'm so confused.
"Her mantle slipped a fraction from one white shoulder, but that could have been to expose just a sliver of pale skin, fresh-velvet as a new magnolia petal. Artfully innocent, that single peeping glow could infect a mortal's dreams, fill them with longing, drive all other thought from their busy little brains."
There's a lot here that tells us, but not much action. We hear a great deal about Summer's power, but its shown only twice, once in the narrative gaze lingering on a transformed person and once with an entranced child.`
Let's meet the main character, Jeremiah Gallow:
"A chill breeze resonated through superstructure, iron girders harpstrings plucked by invisible fingers. He was wet with sweat, exhaust-laden breeze mouthing his ruthlessly cropped black hair. Poison in the air just like poison in the singing rods and rivets, but neither troubled a Half. He had nothing to fear from cold iron."
Ruthlessly cropped?
Sigh.
Here's when Gallow sees Robin Ragged up close:
"She clutched at the brick wall, her pale hands starfish-spread as if she intended to splinter her fingernails scratching her way through. Ribs flickered under her dress as she panted, and her hair was now weighed down with dampness. The gold hoops dangling from her ears peeped at him, and the first hounds skidded behind him on the street and sent up a racket. The cry of prey cornered filled the night, turned the mist-rain drops to diamonds."
Seriously--I got stuck on "ribs flickered" because I kept imagining parts of her body disappearing in and out like the Cheshire cat. Then I wondered where her dress was if I'm seeing her flickering ribs. Wait, is she naked? Or does she mean her dress is ill-fitted and hanging loose? Once again, completely distracted by the writing, and not in a good way.
I started to skim, but it was a challenge because there's so little of substance beneath those words. The two main characters meeting and reflecting took a hundred pages--a hundred--and most of that is just so much filler of them each mentally bemoaning their state and generally musing on the shortcomings of the fae. The plot is very simple, classic folk tale--the Courts of Summer and Winter at war with each other--with a handmaiden of Summer trying to save a stolen mortal. Robin Goodfellow has his own agenda (and a taste for blood) and Gallow just wants to stay lost in memories of his dead wife.. There's devious intentions, suspicions, and sleights of hand made more twisty by the over encumbered language.
I wish this had worked better for me. I wish Saintcrow the best, I truly do--particularly as I think there's more than a little of her autobiography in some of the characters--but I'm giving the rest of this series a pass, and this book is headed back to Half-Price.
Alas.
Though I generally enjoy extravagant prose (Beagle, Kay, Valente), this is awful. Layered on and stretched thin (see what I'm doing there?), Saintcrow has traded in Spartan style for Valente on crack. I knew there would be trouble with the opening line: "Summer, soft green hills and shaded dells, lay breathless under a pall of smoky apple-blossom dusk."
Think on that a moment. Is it 'summer soft' with a misplaced comma? I suppose the season can lay breathless--it does get stiflingly hot--but then how does that 'soft green hills' clause make sense? And what is 'smoky apple-blossom dusk? Aren't apple blossoms white and pink shaded? I'm so confused.
"Her mantle slipped a fraction from one white shoulder, but that could have been to expose just a sliver of pale skin, fresh-velvet as a new magnolia petal. Artfully innocent, that single peeping glow could infect a mortal's dreams, fill them with longing, drive all other thought from their busy little brains."
There's a lot here that tells us, but not much action. We hear a great deal about Summer's power, but its shown only twice, once in the narrative gaze lingering on a transformed person and once with an entranced child.`
Let's meet the main character, Jeremiah Gallow:
"A chill breeze resonated through superstructure, iron girders harpstrings plucked by invisible fingers. He was wet with sweat, exhaust-laden breeze mouthing his ruthlessly cropped black hair. Poison in the air just like poison in the singing rods and rivets, but neither troubled a Half. He had nothing to fear from cold iron."
Ruthlessly cropped?
Sigh.
Here's when Gallow sees Robin Ragged up close:
"She clutched at the brick wall, her pale hands starfish-spread as if she intended to splinter her fingernails scratching her way through. Ribs flickered under her dress as she panted, and her hair was now weighed down with dampness. The gold hoops dangling from her ears peeped at him, and the first hounds skidded behind him on the street and sent up a racket. The cry of prey cornered filled the night, turned the mist-rain drops to diamonds."
Seriously--I got stuck on "ribs flickered" because I kept imagining parts of her body disappearing in and out like the Cheshire cat. Then I wondered where her dress was if I'm seeing her flickering ribs. Wait, is she naked? Or does she mean her dress is ill-fitted and hanging loose? Once again, completely distracted by the writing, and not in a good way.
I started to skim, but it was a challenge because there's so little of substance beneath those words. The two main characters meeting and reflecting took a hundred pages--a hundred--and most of that is just so much filler of them each mentally bemoaning their state and generally musing on the shortcomings of the fae. The plot is very simple, classic folk tale--the Courts of Summer and Winter at war with each other--with a handmaiden of Summer trying to save a stolen mortal. Robin Goodfellow has his own agenda (and a taste for blood) and Gallow just wants to stay lost in memories of his dead wife.. There's devious intentions, suspicions, and sleights of hand made more twisty by the over encumbered language.
I wish this had worked better for me. I wish Saintcrow the best, I truly do--particularly as I think there's more than a little of her autobiography in some of the characters--but I'm giving the rest of this series a pass, and this book is headed back to Half-Price.
June 22, 2015
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads.
Let me just start out by saying that this book wasn’t what I expected. Dark Urban Fantasy—most definitely, but the title and blurb led me to believe that there would also be a generous helping of humour, or snark which there wasn’t. The male protagonist lives in a trailer park, and he & Robin eat a meal at a diner; however that’s pretty much the full extent of this story’s ghetto vibe. Lilith Saintcrow’s writing style was heavy on the Fae court speak, and the plot was rather humdrum until the halfway mark. Still, I enjoyed it once the ball got rolling.
The author’s prose was the largest hurdle for me having not read anything by her before. I wasn’t deterred by the Fae politics or by the formal discourse because both go hand-in-hand whenever the Sidhe are involved. My problem was with the amount of it; there was no break in the flowery words whether it was the dialogue, descriptions, or mortal exchanges. It made the plot threads difficult to spot because I was too busy trying to figure out what the heck Saintcrow was trying to convey, and the fact that nothing really happened until page 160 made it worse.
The remainder of my review will focus on what happened after the pre-excitement hump considering that it was the second half that merited the four star rating. The novel was actually shockingly uncomplicated once all of the key characters, and their motivations were identified. The twists were carried out nicely, and the author nailed the ambiguity of Fae word play, as well as their creepy / magical natures. The Fair Folk were pretty standard as far as their mythology goes, so once the language was no longer an obstacle, I was able to find my bearings.
I liked Jeremy; he had an interesting back story, and there was way more to him than his construction worker facade. Former Armormaster, and ex-lover of Summer who gave it all up for a mortal woman, and refuses to serve any court (anti-hero FTW!). Robin did everything right; she set off to save a human boy, mostly had Gallow’s back, and she’s powerful, but I just couldn’t bring myself to her. Also, I’m hoping the romance doesn’t pan out because, well… spoiler. Puck Goodfellow was the quasiessential mischievous Fae, and the catalyst of many things I suspect. Yup, I will be reading book 2.
TRAILER PARK FAE required a bit of patience, but I’m glad that I stuck it out.
Let me just start out by saying that this book wasn’t what I expected. Dark Urban Fantasy—most definitely, but the title and blurb led me to believe that there would also be a generous helping of humour, or snark which there wasn’t. The male protagonist lives in a trailer park, and he & Robin eat a meal at a diner; however that’s pretty much the full extent of this story’s ghetto vibe. Lilith Saintcrow’s writing style was heavy on the Fae court speak, and the plot was rather humdrum until the halfway mark. Still, I enjoyed it once the ball got rolling.
The author’s prose was the largest hurdle for me having not read anything by her before. I wasn’t deterred by the Fae politics or by the formal discourse because both go hand-in-hand whenever the Sidhe are involved. My problem was with the amount of it; there was no break in the flowery words whether it was the dialogue, descriptions, or mortal exchanges. It made the plot threads difficult to spot because I was too busy trying to figure out what the heck Saintcrow was trying to convey, and the fact that nothing really happened until page 160 made it worse.
The remainder of my review will focus on what happened after the pre-excitement hump considering that it was the second half that merited the four star rating. The novel was actually shockingly uncomplicated once all of the key characters, and their motivations were identified. The twists were carried out nicely, and the author nailed the ambiguity of Fae word play, as well as their creepy / magical natures. The Fair Folk were pretty standard as far as their mythology goes, so once the language was no longer an obstacle, I was able to find my bearings.
I liked Jeremy; he had an interesting back story, and there was way more to him than his construction worker facade. Former Armormaster, and ex-lover of Summer who gave it all up for a mortal woman, and refuses to serve any court (anti-hero FTW!). Robin did everything right; she set off to save a human boy, mostly had Gallow’s back, and she’s powerful, but I just couldn’t bring myself to her. Also, I’m hoping the romance doesn’t pan out because, well… spoiler. Puck Goodfellow was the quasiessential mischievous Fae, and the catalyst of many things I suspect. Yup, I will be reading book 2.
TRAILER PARK FAE required a bit of patience, but I’m glad that I stuck it out.
September 24, 2015
If you are looking for a fae version of the Sookie Stackhouse books, you have come to the wrong place.
Having a book called "Trailer Park Fae", and then writing it in an overly flowery and Shakespearean style makes no sense. It is nothing like it seems to be.
The writing is absolutely brutal to read. Maybe if it was supposed to be poetic... or set in an older time.... I don't know, but it just doesn't work for a book called Trailer Park Fae.
Here is what I mean:
Here's a couple of descriptions of wind:
He was wet with sweat, exhaust-laden breeze mouthing his ruthlessly cropped black hair.
...
..the wind a hungry lover's hand...
...
Chill, forlorn menace eddied and swirled about the trailers lucky enough to be intact...
Some descriptions of buildings/streets:
...set her back against the weeping bricks...
...
a tangle of indifferently paved streets...
...
...skipping every few steps to avoid the crazyquilt of cracks - break your mother's back...
Yes, it's that annoying!
I'm sorry but there was no way in hell I was going to finish this book.
Having a book called "Trailer Park Fae", and then writing it in an overly flowery and Shakespearean style makes no sense. It is nothing like it seems to be.
The writing is absolutely brutal to read. Maybe if it was supposed to be poetic... or set in an older time.... I don't know, but it just doesn't work for a book called Trailer Park Fae.
Here is what I mean:
Here's a couple of descriptions of wind:
He was wet with sweat, exhaust-laden breeze mouthing his ruthlessly cropped black hair.
...
..the wind a hungry lover's hand...
...
Chill, forlorn menace eddied and swirled about the trailers lucky enough to be intact...
Some descriptions of buildings/streets:
...set her back against the weeping bricks...
...
a tangle of indifferently paved streets...
...
...skipping every few steps to avoid the crazyquilt of cracks - break your mother's back...
Yes, it's that annoying!
I'm sorry but there was no way in hell I was going to finish this book.
July 17, 2015
2.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/07/17/b...
It’s tough admitting when a book doesn’t work for me, and in the case of Trailer Park Fae I find this even more difficult to do considering the high hopes I had for it. To complicate matters, I can’t even really fault the book itself, because the writing superb and the story has it dark charms. However, it just felt like I was sold one thing by the title, cover and description, but received something altogether different instead.
First, a bit of background about the book: one of the main characters is the half-human-half-Sidhe Jeremiah Gallow, former Armormaster and close confidante to Summer, Queen of the Seelie Court. He’s left that life behind him now though, making his living as just another construction worker in the mortal world. He also just recently lost his beloved wife Daisy, and every day he mourns her still. Enter our other main protagonist, Robin Ragged, another half-Sidhe looking for a place to lie low after narrowly escaping the agents of the Unseelie Court. When Jeremiah first lays eyes on Robin in the bar he frequents, he is shocked by how much she resembles his dead wife, prompting the protective instincts to kick in.
But aiding her also means being dragged back into the world of magic and danger, where Summer and Unwinter are in a constant war. A plague ravages the Seelie Court and the Unseelie are the main suspects for unleashing it. Robin has been tasked as the courier to deliver the cure, but she is no friend of Summer, feeling bitter towards the Seelie queen for stealing away and imprisoning Robin’s adopted child Sean. Then of course, there’s also the free Sidhe, represented by their clever yet mischievous leader, a Fae known as Puck…
Despite its eye-catching description and shades of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Trailer Park Fae is one dark book. And unfortunately, what’s on the surface does not match what’s beneath. When I first picked it up, I admit the book’s bold electrifying cover and its quirky little title led me to expect another light urban fantasy with a good dose of humor and maybe a little snark, so I was disappointed to find little to none at all. Instead, the story is a lot more somber and grave, with a little heartbreak thrown in to boot. Normally, this isn’t something I would mind, and it’s certainly not the first time I’ve ever started a book only to discover it is completely different than I thought it would be. I’ve rolled with the punches before, but switching gears in this case was a lot harder for a couple reasons.
First of all, the writing isn’t exactly light on the eyes, with scattered sections that would slip into the formal style, reflecting the courtly speak of the Sidhe-folk. As you can probably guess, this didn’t really make for an easy read, even though I credit the prose for being very well-structured and beautifully written. Second, even if I had been in the mood for a book like this, I don’t know how well it would have worked for me. Very little happened for the first hundred pages, making it a real challenge to engage with the story and characters. There were some nice twists towards the middle and the end, but regretfully, I still didn’t feel invested enough at that point to experience their full impact.
I should point out though, that there are actually lots of fantastic and very unique ideas in here. Lilith Saintcrow’s portrayal of the Fae is wonderful and complex, painting them as creatures of mischief and malice, incorporating myths about changelings at the same time. Then there’s putting the Fae in the context of trailer parks, dive bars, and greasy diners – a creative concept that hooked me as soon as I saw it. Both Jeremiah and Robin have some nifty powers at their disposal as well, with the former possessing tattoos on his arms that can transform into a weapon, and the latter with the ability to create objects with strong, lasting enchantments.
I wish I had enjoyed this book more, and not least because I feel it’s partly my fault for being misled by the tone suggested by its cover and title. Yes, I’m a mood reader, and I thought this book would be the rollicking urban fantasy I needed at the time, yet it turned out to be just the opposite. As I noted though, I had issues with this book that went deeper, so I’m not sure how I would have liked it even if I had been prepared for its much weightier tone and style. If you’re not sure that this one would be for you, I recommend reading a sample before taking the plunge.
It’s tough admitting when a book doesn’t work for me, and in the case of Trailer Park Fae I find this even more difficult to do considering the high hopes I had for it. To complicate matters, I can’t even really fault the book itself, because the writing superb and the story has it dark charms. However, it just felt like I was sold one thing by the title, cover and description, but received something altogether different instead.
First, a bit of background about the book: one of the main characters is the half-human-half-Sidhe Jeremiah Gallow, former Armormaster and close confidante to Summer, Queen of the Seelie Court. He’s left that life behind him now though, making his living as just another construction worker in the mortal world. He also just recently lost his beloved wife Daisy, and every day he mourns her still. Enter our other main protagonist, Robin Ragged, another half-Sidhe looking for a place to lie low after narrowly escaping the agents of the Unseelie Court. When Jeremiah first lays eyes on Robin in the bar he frequents, he is shocked by how much she resembles his dead wife, prompting the protective instincts to kick in.
But aiding her also means being dragged back into the world of magic and danger, where Summer and Unwinter are in a constant war. A plague ravages the Seelie Court and the Unseelie are the main suspects for unleashing it. Robin has been tasked as the courier to deliver the cure, but she is no friend of Summer, feeling bitter towards the Seelie queen for stealing away and imprisoning Robin’s adopted child Sean. Then of course, there’s also the free Sidhe, represented by their clever yet mischievous leader, a Fae known as Puck…
Despite its eye-catching description and shades of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Trailer Park Fae is one dark book. And unfortunately, what’s on the surface does not match what’s beneath. When I first picked it up, I admit the book’s bold electrifying cover and its quirky little title led me to expect another light urban fantasy with a good dose of humor and maybe a little snark, so I was disappointed to find little to none at all. Instead, the story is a lot more somber and grave, with a little heartbreak thrown in to boot. Normally, this isn’t something I would mind, and it’s certainly not the first time I’ve ever started a book only to discover it is completely different than I thought it would be. I’ve rolled with the punches before, but switching gears in this case was a lot harder for a couple reasons.
First of all, the writing isn’t exactly light on the eyes, with scattered sections that would slip into the formal style, reflecting the courtly speak of the Sidhe-folk. As you can probably guess, this didn’t really make for an easy read, even though I credit the prose for being very well-structured and beautifully written. Second, even if I had been in the mood for a book like this, I don’t know how well it would have worked for me. Very little happened for the first hundred pages, making it a real challenge to engage with the story and characters. There were some nice twists towards the middle and the end, but regretfully, I still didn’t feel invested enough at that point to experience their full impact.
I should point out though, that there are actually lots of fantastic and very unique ideas in here. Lilith Saintcrow’s portrayal of the Fae is wonderful and complex, painting them as creatures of mischief and malice, incorporating myths about changelings at the same time. Then there’s putting the Fae in the context of trailer parks, dive bars, and greasy diners – a creative concept that hooked me as soon as I saw it. Both Jeremiah and Robin have some nifty powers at their disposal as well, with the former possessing tattoos on his arms that can transform into a weapon, and the latter with the ability to create objects with strong, lasting enchantments.
I wish I had enjoyed this book more, and not least because I feel it’s partly my fault for being misled by the tone suggested by its cover and title. Yes, I’m a mood reader, and I thought this book would be the rollicking urban fantasy I needed at the time, yet it turned out to be just the opposite. As I noted though, I had issues with this book that went deeper, so I’m not sure how I would have liked it even if I had been prepared for its much weightier tone and style. If you’re not sure that this one would be for you, I recommend reading a sample before taking the plunge.
June 25, 2015
Will there ever be a time when Dan dos Santos cover won't pull me to read a book?
It does help that guy on the cover has David Tennant frown.
*************
Short review:
Longer review:
I had a hard time with Trailer Park Fae.
This entire book is so unnecessary overwritten. I would understand that lyrical and somewhat archaic dialogues are used among fairies who live forever, but author used same flowery style throughout entire book, with descriptions and action scenes, and I felt it was in complete discord with urban setting of novel. It was also suffocating plot progression because with so many adjectives in a sentence my eyes started to glaze over. Our main characters are half-faries and other characters are faries, so they all talk and think this way.
I'll give example of dialogue:
"Her expression hardened, and when she spoke, each word was chill. “That would make me faithless as your own good self, Goodfellow. What business have you here?”
“Ah, the lady who disdains me is the lady I love.” He sang it, queerly accented but musically enough, and she did not recognize the tune. No doubt if she had it would have been a cruel jest, and her skin was thin enough just now.
“Sing another measure, Robin Goodfellow, and I shall sing one in return.” It was not a true threat, but it was satisfying to see him blanch slightly. As if she did not know that very little would stir Puck’s heart to the cruel mercy of his kind of affection."
It's either bastardizing Shakespeare or it's the most pretentiously written urban fantasy ever.
Fairy mythos of this series is clearly inspired by "A Midsummer Night's Dream"- we have fickle fairies, king and queen quarreling and one Puck Goodfellow, jester to play them all. Bare bones: Fairy Queen Summer and Unwinter King are blaming each other for plague that affects fairies and Puck, leader of free Fae is meddling into this war in his own way. Summer sends Robin, half fairy who sold herself to her court to human realm to collect cure where she is attacked by Unwinter's Unseelie and saved by Jeremiah Gallow. Jeremy is another half-Fairy, ex knight of Summer court who left it for the love of mortal woman and it's Robin's resemblance to his dead wife what decides for him to help and be dragged into Fae business once again.
I did enjoy the darker tone and vicious portrayal of Fae and I wanted to see what's going to happen by the end. I decided to rate it by GR standards where 2* means that book is ok. In a way, I can't say I disliked the story so much- I really didn't like the way it was told, so "ok" fits just fine.
March 22, 2016
this is the weirdest book about fairies I've ever read. it's like a custody battle, but with magic, where the judge is really pissed about having to work that day.
dnf
June 25, 2015DNF @ 32%
The characters were interesting but not enough to inspire me to continue. The worldbuilding was way off though. The aspect was there, but the describing bits were missing leaving moments of mass confusion.
"A sidhe who could craft a quirpiece could also craft - or barter for - a breakaway, and if the huntwhistles were so close he could hear them through a mortal brawl..."
Quirpiece? What's a breakaway? And huntwhistles? There was just a lot of interesting concepts without the descriptive necessities. Adding in the Shakespearian speech only made it worse.
The characters were interesting but not enough to inspire me to continue. The worldbuilding was way off though. The aspect was there, but the describing bits were missing leaving moments of mass confusion.
"A sidhe who could craft a quirpiece could also craft - or barter for - a breakaway, and if the huntwhistles were so close he could hear them through a mortal brawl..."
Quirpiece? What's a breakaway? And huntwhistles? There was just a lot of interesting concepts without the descriptive necessities. Adding in the Shakespearian speech only made it worse.
Read
July 24, 2015Because: Dat cover!
Okay, so I pre-ordered this on the cover alone. I should have waited and read the sample. I've not read this author's work before, so I'm to blame, but the flowery prose is a killer. I was hoping for something fun, gritty, dark, and sexy - which the cover and blurb suggests. I was wrong. I get that the author is portraying 'fae-speak', but I keep stumbling over the writing, which makes it difficult for me to really connect and immerse myself in the world.
I'm putting it aside for a time when I can wallow in slow moving poetic prose.
Okay, so I pre-ordered this on the cover alone. I should have waited and read the sample. I've not read this author's work before, so I'm to blame, but the flowery prose is a killer. I was hoping for something fun, gritty, dark, and sexy - which the cover and blurb suggests. I was wrong. I get that the author is portraying 'fae-speak', but I keep stumbling over the writing, which makes it difficult for me to really connect and immerse myself in the world.
I'm putting it aside for a time when I can wallow in slow moving poetic prose.
May 3, 2019
I finished it!!! But dear heaven, this was hard work.
I usually like Saintcrow and read just about everything written by her, but this book was not an easy read at all.
If she continues in this direction (concerning her literary style) she should switch to poetry and leave the world of prose. Many of her sentence structures are fraught with ancient fey words, poetic metaphors and complicated "hinting around the bush", so you need a lot of time and patience to reread whole passages ("WTF have I just read??? What is happening? What is she talking about?")
Even after a while, when you have already become an expert in distinguishing Sidhe, Seelies, Unseelies, Ghilliedhu, Brughnies, Sluagh and the like, the ball does not get rolling because the book is so hung up on the overblown language that it slows the story down.
I planned to quote some sentences to show the problem, but when I flipped through the book to find some examples, I had the feeling I could more or less quote the whole thing, because she sticks with the cumbersome language quite consistently.
IMPORTANT ADVICE: Read a sample before you buy the book. The major online stores all offer the first chapters for free. The first chapter of this book shows perfectly what I am talking about. If you like this kind of fairytale speak, this is the right book for you. If it is not your thing, be warned, the whole book goes on like this, it does not change.
The most frustrating thing is the open ending!
I finished, but without any sense of accomplishment, because if I want to know how the story ends (and the story is actually interesting, so I do want to know how it ends!), I'll have to go through all that hard work again and read the sequel.
I feel cheated.
I usually like Saintcrow and read just about everything written by her, but this book was not an easy read at all.
If she continues in this direction (concerning her literary style) she should switch to poetry and leave the world of prose. Many of her sentence structures are fraught with ancient fey words, poetic metaphors and complicated "hinting around the bush", so you need a lot of time and patience to reread whole passages ("WTF have I just read??? What is happening? What is she talking about?")
Even after a while, when you have already become an expert in distinguishing Sidhe, Seelies, Unseelies, Ghilliedhu, Brughnies, Sluagh and the like, the ball does not get rolling because the book is so hung up on the overblown language that it slows the story down.
I planned to quote some sentences to show the problem, but when I flipped through the book to find some examples, I had the feeling I could more or less quote the whole thing, because she sticks with the cumbersome language quite consistently.
IMPORTANT ADVICE: Read a sample before you buy the book. The major online stores all offer the first chapters for free. The first chapter of this book shows perfectly what I am talking about. If you like this kind of fairytale speak, this is the right book for you. If it is not your thing, be warned, the whole book goes on like this, it does not change.
The most frustrating thing is the open ending!
I finished, but without any sense of accomplishment, because if I want to know how the story ends (and the story is actually interesting, so I do want to know how it ends!), I'll have to go through all that hard work again and read the sequel.
I feel cheated.
July 6, 2024
Trailer Park Fae
By Lilith Saintcrow
This is an entertaining fantasy read dealing with the fae. I haven't read a fae book for a bit, so that was nice, and I like this author. Normally, she writes books that I enjoy a little more than just 3 stars, but 3 is entertaining, so I will take that! I'm definitely going to read the next one!
By Lilith Saintcrow
This is an entertaining fantasy read dealing with the fae. I haven't read a fae book for a bit, so that was nice, and I like this author. Normally, she writes books that I enjoy a little more than just 3 stars, but 3 is entertaining, so I will take that! I'm definitely going to read the next one!
April 30, 2025
Jeremy Gallow and Robyn Ragged.
I made it 25% and then just couldn't trudge through the overwrought prose anymore. Sheesh, it was exhausting and I missed stuff because I was listening to the audio format.
The story sounded intriguing, but apparently it is a cliffhanger (did not know that when I bought it... hope I can return it!)
Anyhoo, Jeremy is a strong half fae who hides as a construction worker living in a trailer park. He lives a half life still mourning the death of his mortal (human) wife, Daisy.
Robyn is also a half fae who is indentured to the court of the Fae queen, Summer. There is a plague loosed by Summer's consort, 'Unwinter' in their ongoing battle/lovers quarrel. It kills the full Fae but not the partially human. Robyn has been sent to get the cure queen Summer had created, but is chased by a plague ridden knight of Unwinter. Jeremy rescues her because she resembles his dead wife.
There is also Puck scampering around creating havoc with an end game that only he knows.
So the stage is set and the story sounds pretty interesting, but the reading of it was just too much work.
Example;
An ENTIRE chapter (2) is only about Jeremy balancing on a high rise beam contemplating jumping, when his boss tells him to be careful. That's all that happens, but the prose is so verbose... goes off on tangents with interesting asides and whimsical blah blah blah. I felt like I was reading Tolkien's version of Midsummer Night's Dream.
The characters were incapable of holding a conversation because there would be a LONG paragraph of description between one character's comment and the other character's reply.
If you look at the other reviews you can see examples. I take it the author doesn't normally write this way, so I may try something else by her in future, but I will steer clear of these books.
I made it 25% and then just couldn't trudge through the overwrought prose anymore. Sheesh, it was exhausting and I missed stuff because I was listening to the audio format.
The story sounded intriguing, but apparently it is a cliffhanger (did not know that when I bought it... hope I can return it!)
Anyhoo, Jeremy is a strong half fae who hides as a construction worker living in a trailer park. He lives a half life still mourning the death of his mortal (human) wife, Daisy.
Robyn is also a half fae who is indentured to the court of the Fae queen, Summer. There is a plague loosed by Summer's consort, 'Unwinter' in their ongoing battle/lovers quarrel. It kills the full Fae but not the partially human. Robyn has been sent to get the cure queen Summer had created, but is chased by a plague ridden knight of Unwinter. Jeremy rescues her because she resembles his dead wife.
There is also Puck scampering around creating havoc with an end game that only he knows.
So the stage is set and the story sounds pretty interesting, but the reading of it was just too much work.
Example;
An ENTIRE chapter (2) is only about Jeremy balancing on a high rise beam contemplating jumping, when his boss tells him to be careful. That's all that happens, but the prose is so verbose... goes off on tangents with interesting asides and whimsical blah blah blah. I felt like I was reading Tolkien's version of Midsummer Night's Dream.
The characters were incapable of holding a conversation because there would be a LONG paragraph of description between one character's comment and the other character's reply.
If you look at the other reviews you can see examples. I take it the author doesn't normally write this way, so I may try something else by her in future, but I will steer clear of these books.
August 7, 2015
3.5 stars
My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.
I had no idea what I was going into with Trailer Park Fae. I’ve read books by Lilith Saintcrow before, so I knew she wrote some dark and gritty stories. However, when I saw that cover, I don’t know what I was expecting. I think I was expecting something along the lines of Diana Rowland’s White Trash Zombie series. I should’ve known better. Just because they have the same cover artist, doesn’t make them the same story. That is what I get for judging a book by it’s cover *hangs head in shame*. That isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy this book, I did, it just was not what I was expecting and that is totally on me.
The story did take a little bit to build. It starts off with Jeremiah Gallow as a construction worker and living as a human. He gave up court life to live with his human wife, Daisy. Unfortunately, she dies in a tragic car wreck before this story even starts, so we never meet her.
Robin Ragged is a half fae, half human who grew up with the fae. The pureblood fae are getting ill and dying. Robin is sent into the mortal world to try to work with a human to find a cure by the Summer Queen, queen of the Seelie Sidhe. She also resembles Jeremiah’s dead wife, which is what pulls him into the issue. He doesn’t care about what is going on in the fae world.
Ragged and Gallow are hiding from Unwinter, who is the king of the Unseelie Sidhe, who they are concerned has started the plague. There is also the leader of the free Sidhe, Puck. Yes, that Puck. He is as mischievous as I remember from some of the stories I’ve heard with him.
All in all, this was a very intriguing story. It is what I would expect in a story about the fae. They are all about politics and twisting things to meet their own needs. While they are very beautiful on the outside, they are much uglier on the inside. I don’t know where the series is going from here, but I will be searching it out when it is available.
Narration
This is the first time I’ve listened to Joe Knezevich. I thought is did a pretty good job. There is a bunch of “fae speak”, which I thought he handled well. I wasn’t overly fond of his women’s voices, but they weren’t horrible. I thought his pacing was done well. I did listen at a normal speed because of the complexity of this story. I didn’t want to risk missing anything.
I like to thank Hachette Audio for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.
I had no idea what I was going into with Trailer Park Fae. I’ve read books by Lilith Saintcrow before, so I knew she wrote some dark and gritty stories. However, when I saw that cover, I don’t know what I was expecting. I think I was expecting something along the lines of Diana Rowland’s White Trash Zombie series. I should’ve known better. Just because they have the same cover artist, doesn’t make them the same story. That is what I get for judging a book by it’s cover *hangs head in shame*. That isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy this book, I did, it just was not what I was expecting and that is totally on me.
The story did take a little bit to build. It starts off with Jeremiah Gallow as a construction worker and living as a human. He gave up court life to live with his human wife, Daisy. Unfortunately, she dies in a tragic car wreck before this story even starts, so we never meet her.
Robin Ragged is a half fae, half human who grew up with the fae. The pureblood fae are getting ill and dying. Robin is sent into the mortal world to try to work with a human to find a cure by the Summer Queen, queen of the Seelie Sidhe. She also resembles Jeremiah’s dead wife, which is what pulls him into the issue. He doesn’t care about what is going on in the fae world.
Ragged and Gallow are hiding from Unwinter, who is the king of the Unseelie Sidhe, who they are concerned has started the plague. There is also the leader of the free Sidhe, Puck. Yes, that Puck. He is as mischievous as I remember from some of the stories I’ve heard with him.
All in all, this was a very intriguing story. It is what I would expect in a story about the fae. They are all about politics and twisting things to meet their own needs. While they are very beautiful on the outside, they are much uglier on the inside. I don’t know where the series is going from here, but I will be searching it out when it is available.
Narration
This is the first time I’ve listened to Joe Knezevich. I thought is did a pretty good job. There is a bunch of “fae speak”, which I thought he handled well. I wasn’t overly fond of his women’s voices, but they weren’t horrible. I thought his pacing was done well. I did listen at a normal speed because of the complexity of this story. I didn’t want to risk missing anything.
I like to thank Hachette Audio for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2015
For a while now I have been distracted by straight up romances and anything of the young adult variety. I was missing my roots, where I started. So I began looking for new urban fantasy titles and “Trailer Park Fae” caught my eye for several reasons.
First, and probably the obvious one for me, is the cover. If I see Daniel Dos Santos cover-art, I’m immediately interested in whatever book it’s gracing. Or at the very least, I’ll take a second look. I’ve been a fan of his work for some time now.
Second, the fae. I love those quirky, full of themselves, otherworldly, brutally vicious, non-sense talking fae. Dark court, light court, summer or winter court – I’ve seen them all and you never know which is the bad or good. Ms. Saintcrow’s world is especially unique because the halflings (half-human, half-fae people) played such a huge role in the story.
If you can get past the legendary, cryptic fae-speak in the beginning of the book, you will be treated to an anything goes story of intrigue, trust, and family dynamics. You wouldn’t think those go together. But there are a lot of things that happen in this book that I never imagined could ever happen! We’re talking maiming and killings, frying people in the sun. It’s absolutely fantastic! And Ms. Saintcrow does a fantastic job capturing those images and putting them into words on the screen/paper. Ms. Saintcrow’s writing is extremely visual.
Going into this story, I thought it was all about Jeremy Gallow. Turns out, my favorite character is Robin Ragged, somewhat the other half of the story. After how everything went down in the end, I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series.
If you’re a fan of the fae, you’ll enjoy another view of the culture. If you’re new the fae world, you may want to sit this one out and go for something a wee bit easier. I can help if you need suggestions!
I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Review appears on
First, and probably the obvious one for me, is the cover. If I see Daniel Dos Santos cover-art, I’m immediately interested in whatever book it’s gracing. Or at the very least, I’ll take a second look. I’ve been a fan of his work for some time now.
Second, the fae. I love those quirky, full of themselves, otherworldly, brutally vicious, non-sense talking fae. Dark court, light court, summer or winter court – I’ve seen them all and you never know which is the bad or good. Ms. Saintcrow’s world is especially unique because the halflings (half-human, half-fae people) played such a huge role in the story.
If you can get past the legendary, cryptic fae-speak in the beginning of the book, you will be treated to an anything goes story of intrigue, trust, and family dynamics. You wouldn’t think those go together. But there are a lot of things that happen in this book that I never imagined could ever happen! We’re talking maiming and killings, frying people in the sun. It’s absolutely fantastic! And Ms. Saintcrow does a fantastic job capturing those images and putting them into words on the screen/paper. Ms. Saintcrow’s writing is extremely visual.
Going into this story, I thought it was all about Jeremy Gallow. Turns out, my favorite character is Robin Ragged, somewhat the other half of the story. After how everything went down in the end, I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series.
If you’re a fan of the fae, you’ll enjoy another view of the culture. If you’re new the fae world, you may want to sit this one out and go for something a wee bit easier. I can help if you need suggestions!
I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Review appears on
January 24, 2018
I was pleasantly surprised to find this urban fantasy with its strong romantic thread had a good story. While the main characters were decent folks carrying loads of regret that got a bit old, it was a good counterpoint to the fae who carried none. I really liked the way the old Seelie courts were done, too. Beautiful or stark, but always deadly with an intricate viciousness & boundless plots lurking behind every action. All in all, it's pretty brutal & I liked that. It's a nice change from good guy vampires.
I don't think I've read anything by Saintcrow before, save possibly a short story & I don't recall liking that. It would make sense since I don't think her wordy prose would suit them. I found all the decorative wording a bit much at times, but there were a few good phrases. Some reviewers thought it rang of Shakespeare, but it didn't strike me that way. A little of Will's humor to lighten things would have helped.
My biggest complaint was that it ends with nothing resolved. I knew it was a series going in & I don't mind it when an author leaves some threads dangling, but this was too much. Especially the reason/way the two MCs parted company & Puck. It felt forced & unreal. I guess I'm supposed to jump on the next book. Maybe someday, but probably not soon. I'm just not that much into UF/PNR any more & into dangling endings even less.
I'm going to give it 3 stars, but it's a bit less than that. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who insists on a story wrapping up.
I don't think I've read anything by Saintcrow before, save possibly a short story & I don't recall liking that. It would make sense since I don't think her wordy prose would suit them. I found all the decorative wording a bit much at times, but there were a few good phrases. Some reviewers thought it rang of Shakespeare, but it didn't strike me that way. A little of Will's humor to lighten things would have helped.
My biggest complaint was that it ends with nothing resolved. I knew it was a series going in & I don't mind it when an author leaves some threads dangling, but this was too much. Especially the reason/way the two MCs parted company & Puck. It felt forced & unreal. I guess I'm supposed to jump on the next book. Maybe someday, but probably not soon. I'm just not that much into UF/PNR any more & into dangling endings even less.
I'm going to give it 3 stars, but it's a bit less than that. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who insists on a story wrapping up.
May 28, 2019
Mini-Review:
4 Stars for Narration by Joe Knezevich - He definitely made the story more appealing & cohesive.
3 Stars for Story Concept
3.5 Stars for Gallow & Robin
2 Stars for Overall Plot Execution
I like the characters a lot but there wasn't enough meat in the story itself. As soon as Audible is working again, I'll dive into the next book to see if the plot will be fleshed out.
4 Stars for Narration by Joe Knezevich - He definitely made the story more appealing & cohesive.
3 Stars for Story Concept
3.5 Stars for Gallow & Robin
2 Stars for Overall Plot Execution
I like the characters a lot but there wasn't enough meat in the story itself. As soon as Audible is working again, I'll dive into the next book to see if the plot will be fleshed out.
January 9, 2016
4.5 Stars
Full Review:
Trailer Park Fae. Tell me that is not the best title ever! I mean, faeries are so elegant, graceful, and proper, and trailer parks are, well not. So a juxtaposition like that, how could it not be amazing?! And that COVER. Honestly probably my all-time favorite. So as soon as I saw this book, I needed it in my life.
But then I read some reviews, and so many said the same thing—the writing was too frilly and difficult to understand. So I sank into the depths of indecision and stared longingly at the the book on my Amazon wishlist for months.
Finally I caved, and I figured December was the perfect month to read it because I had finished my goal for the year and would have the whole month to take my time with this book.
Imagine my surprise when I finished it in three days.
The thing about this book is, the writing is flowery and archaic and poetic. But I like flowery and archaic and poetic, so I thought the writing was beautiful!
As for it being too hard to read, it only took me ten pages of reading slowly and rereading some sections to get the hang of it. After that, the more I read, the easier and more natural it became. Even if a sentence here or there tripped me up, it didn’t affect my enjoyment or understanding of the story. It’s not a book you can skim though, so just save it for when you can go at a relaxed pace and really sink into the writing. So if you like concise writing, this may not be for you. But if you like beautiful writing that does a brilliant job of showing rather than telling, and you’re interested in the story, don’t make the same mistake I almost did!
This book is more than just its writing style though. For one thing, the plot had me hooked. Once I picked this up, I didn’t want to put it down. I never knew where the story was going to head next or what new twists would be thrown at me.
The characters were also well-written, especially Jeremiah. He was gruff, harsh, sullen, and sometimes selfish—but sometimes he was also selfless, and there was more complexity to him than meets the eye. He was kind of broken but also badass—a combination that worked surprisingly great.
As for the cover matching the story? No, the writing was not gritty and rough, and the story definitely was not a fluffy, crude-humor type of read like one might expect. But Jeremiah was still gritty and rough, as well as many of the settings, so I felt like I did get that juxtaposition of elegant and gritty that I wanted. And the story was not lacking humor, nor was it super dark; I found myself cracking up plenty at little bits of sarcasm or wit and even the absurd situations the characters sometimes ended up in.
So, to summarize, flawed characters who tug at your heart strings, a plot that keeps you on your toes, beautiful writing, and a sprinkling of humor, all wrapped up in an oddly gritty yet elegant package with a cover that is TO-DIE-FOR!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes beautiful, lyrical writing, the cruel side of faeries, and gritty, flawed, complex characters.
Original Review on Blog
Full Review:
Trailer Park Fae. Tell me that is not the best title ever! I mean, faeries are so elegant, graceful, and proper, and trailer parks are, well not. So a juxtaposition like that, how could it not be amazing?! And that COVER. Honestly probably my all-time favorite. So as soon as I saw this book, I needed it in my life.
But then I read some reviews, and so many said the same thing—the writing was too frilly and difficult to understand. So I sank into the depths of indecision and stared longingly at the the book on my Amazon wishlist for months.
Finally I caved, and I figured December was the perfect month to read it because I had finished my goal for the year and would have the whole month to take my time with this book.
Imagine my surprise when I finished it in three days.
The thing about this book is, the writing is flowery and archaic and poetic. But I like flowery and archaic and poetic, so I thought the writing was beautiful!
As for it being too hard to read, it only took me ten pages of reading slowly and rereading some sections to get the hang of it. After that, the more I read, the easier and more natural it became. Even if a sentence here or there tripped me up, it didn’t affect my enjoyment or understanding of the story. It’s not a book you can skim though, so just save it for when you can go at a relaxed pace and really sink into the writing. So if you like concise writing, this may not be for you. But if you like beautiful writing that does a brilliant job of showing rather than telling, and you’re interested in the story, don’t make the same mistake I almost did!
This book is more than just its writing style though. For one thing, the plot had me hooked. Once I picked this up, I didn’t want to put it down. I never knew where the story was going to head next or what new twists would be thrown at me.
The characters were also well-written, especially Jeremiah. He was gruff, harsh, sullen, and sometimes selfish—but sometimes he was also selfless, and there was more complexity to him than meets the eye. He was kind of broken but also badass—a combination that worked surprisingly great.
As for the cover matching the story? No, the writing was not gritty and rough, and the story definitely was not a fluffy, crude-humor type of read like one might expect. But Jeremiah was still gritty and rough, as well as many of the settings, so I felt like I did get that juxtaposition of elegant and gritty that I wanted. And the story was not lacking humor, nor was it super dark; I found myself cracking up plenty at little bits of sarcasm or wit and even the absurd situations the characters sometimes ended up in.
So, to summarize, flawed characters who tug at your heart strings, a plot that keeps you on your toes, beautiful writing, and a sprinkling of humor, all wrapped up in an oddly gritty yet elegant package with a cover that is TO-DIE-FOR!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes beautiful, lyrical writing, the cruel side of faeries, and gritty, flawed, complex characters.
Original Review on Blog
August 8, 2016
#1 Gallow and Ragged - UF - Fae
First Read: October 2015, 4 stars
Second Read: July 25, 2016 - 7/31/16
Read #2 Review - July/Aug. 2016 - 3 stars
Reread prior to reading #2 Roadside Magic.
What I liked:
World building, characters, intrigue, danger, Summer Queen/Unwinter King drama, characters' having to dodge politics and whims of both Courts, surprises and twists.
What I REALLY disliked:
Rereading this was a total chore. The overblown, overdescribed writing on every single page was so annoying, and took me totally out of the story. Using the word "chill" a stunning number of times, even when not related to the Unwinter King or his world. One page used the word "chill" four times.
Major overuse of italicization. Constant overuse of adjectives in one sentence. Using bizarre groups of words intended to describe something, but left me thinking "what??". Use of approximately 10-15 words (unrelated to the fae world) that I'd never seen before. Normally I'd look up such a word, but I was already exasperated with the writing, so I passed it over - just one more thing screaming for a good editor.
I'll finish out this trilogy as I've already purchased book 2.
********************************************
Read #1 Review, October 2015: 4 stars
Seeing the cover and title the first time, I fell in love with the book.
LOVED the world building, characters, and being immersed in the world of the sidhe and sidhe-beings and animals (elfhorse?! with long, sharp teeth?!). The author pulled me into the world of Summer and Unwinter, and I didn't want to leave.
The Summer Queen, Puck and Unwinter are all manipulative, cruel, and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, even if it's just for a day's entertainment.
The world of the Fae/Sidhe isn't one I'm familiar with, other than a couple Laurell K. Hamilton books 15+ years ago. So while I'm intrigued, it's a bit confusing. I get the feeling there's a Shakespeare book or play with the Fae and a character named Puck, that the author was referencing, but I didn't get it. I'll check that out, as this is a book I'd like to reread prior to #2 Roadside Magic (possibly a different title, The Poisoned Blade) (release date 12/15 or early 2016. #3 Wasteland Magic release date June 2016 (not shown on G/R).
For some sigh-worthy man candy, click on the cover pic to enlarge. I spent as much time looking at his pic as I did reading.
First Read: October 2015, 4 stars
Second Read: July 25, 2016 - 7/31/16
Read #2 Review - July/Aug. 2016 - 3 stars
Reread prior to reading #2 Roadside Magic.
What I liked:
World building, characters, intrigue, danger, Summer Queen/Unwinter King drama, characters' having to dodge politics and whims of both Courts, surprises and twists.
What I REALLY disliked:
Rereading this was a total chore. The overblown, overdescribed writing on every single page was so annoying, and took me totally out of the story. Using the word "chill" a stunning number of times, even when not related to the Unwinter King or his world. One page used the word "chill" four times.
Major overuse of italicization. Constant overuse of adjectives in one sentence. Using bizarre groups of words intended to describe something, but left me thinking "what??". Use of approximately 10-15 words (unrelated to the fae world) that I'd never seen before. Normally I'd look up such a word, but I was already exasperated with the writing, so I passed it over - just one more thing screaming for a good editor.
I'll finish out this trilogy as I've already purchased book 2.
********************************************
Read #1 Review, October 2015: 4 stars
Seeing the cover and title the first time, I fell in love with the book.
LOVED the world building, characters, and being immersed in the world of the sidhe and sidhe-beings and animals (elfhorse?! with long, sharp teeth?!). The author pulled me into the world of Summer and Unwinter, and I didn't want to leave.
The Summer Queen, Puck and Unwinter are all manipulative, cruel, and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, even if it's just for a day's entertainment.
The world of the Fae/Sidhe isn't one I'm familiar with, other than a couple Laurell K. Hamilton books 15+ years ago. So while I'm intrigued, it's a bit confusing. I get the feeling there's a Shakespeare book or play with the Fae and a character named Puck, that the author was referencing, but I didn't get it. I'll check that out, as this is a book I'd like to reread prior to #2 Roadside Magic (possibly a different title, The Poisoned Blade) (release date 12/15 or early 2016. #3 Wasteland Magic release date June 2016 (not shown on G/R).
For some sigh-worthy man candy, click on the cover pic to enlarge. I spent as much time looking at his pic as I did reading.
September 23, 2017
I've been reading a variety of fae-centric books lately and this one comes out on top as the darkest of the group. Not in a bad way, but in a HOLY WOW this world is gritty and the underhanded dealings of the fae are fantastically diabolical and THINGS are never as they seem. Which are all things I enjoy in a fae-centered book, so I was ALL IN.
Gallow is a mess. A half-human, half-fae who turned his back on the Summer Court, he's stuck in an endless rut of grief and remembrance. When Robin shows up, looking so much like Gallow's dead wife he can't help but follow her to see if there's a connection, she upends his life even more. Suddenly the man who wanted nothing to do with the fae is right in the thick of things.
For her part, Robin is only trying to protect the one thing she cares for when she steps into the human world on the order of the Queen. Robin's the one I think I feel the most for. She's systematically had everything stripped from her time and again. The power in her voice makes her a commodity, her ability to make things real makes her a rarity that puts her in a weird place.
A lot of secrets are uncovered, but there are a lot more still festering under the surface. I've already queued up book 2 to see how things progress for these two and the warring, plague-ridden Courts.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Gallow is a mess. A half-human, half-fae who turned his back on the Summer Court, he's stuck in an endless rut of grief and remembrance. When Robin shows up, looking so much like Gallow's dead wife he can't help but follow her to see if there's a connection, she upends his life even more. Suddenly the man who wanted nothing to do with the fae is right in the thick of things.
For her part, Robin is only trying to protect the one thing she cares for when she steps into the human world on the order of the Queen. Robin's the one I think I feel the most for. She's systematically had everything stripped from her time and again. The power in her voice makes her a commodity, her ability to make things real makes her a rarity that puts her in a weird place.
A lot of secrets are uncovered, but there are a lot more still festering under the surface. I've already queued up book 2 to see how things progress for these two and the warring, plague-ridden Courts.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Read
April 4, 2015I absolutely hate that I had to do this because I had such high hopes, but I had to DNF this at 50%. I just couldn't read another page. I didn't care for the writing, the characters or the story line and was having a really hard time following the story because I was just plain bored. It just wasn't for me.
Want to read
December 9, 20159 December 2015: $1.99 on Kindle
24 November 2015: $1.99 on Kindle
24 November 2015: $1.99 on Kindle
June 9, 2021
I was good kind of hard to follow at times but still good.
I really love almost anything to do with the Fae and this is one of them.
I like the different take on Summer and Unwinter. Gallow is a really cool character and I just love him. And Ragged is just a kickass badass.
I can't wait to see what's in store for the two of them next.
I really love almost anything to do with the Fae and this is one of them.
I like the different take on Summer and Unwinter. Gallow is a really cool character and I just love him. And Ragged is just a kickass badass.
I can't wait to see what's in store for the two of them next.
July 2, 2018
Not the best writing nor all that original of a story, wasn't a big fan of the ending either.
Read
April 10, 2021DNF
April 25, 2018
First in the Gallow and Ragged urban fantasy series set in the human world of low dive bars, construction sites, and trailer parks inhabited by fae and human both. The focus is on Jeremiah Gallow and Robin Ragged.
My Take
This is good, a weedy, alley-ridden home to trailer parks and divey bars into which sidhe treachery and betrayal leaps. It reminds me of Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series with its low-class settings while Gallow’s character is a blend of the enigmatic Barron from Fever, the compassion of Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files, and the skill and darkness of Cal from Robin Thurman’s Cal Leandros. Now Robin’s character…she’s practically out of Mercedes Lackey’s Bardic Voices.
Saintcrow presents an interesting contrast of Robin’s delight in her escape into Faerie away from her stepfather and today's thoughts of darkness toward Summer. Another horrifying contrast is the supposed light of the Seelie Court with those carved-bark trees, the cruelty and downright nastiness of Summer. I do wish I better understood why Unwinter was after Robin…
Now, don't go to thinking it's actually like any of these other series; they simply remind me of them. Sure it has the background conflict of the long-ago quarrel between Summer and Unwinter, once a couple and now deadly enemies. And it's a rift Goodfellow makes good use of with betrayal, treachery, and cruelty from all three sides, but Saintcrow makes Trailer Park Fae distinctly it's own.
The story uses a multiple third person point-of-view, if only so we can experience Robin’s, Gallow’s, and other characters’ actions, thoughts, and dialogue with a pair of protagonists who are fearsomely wary of each other, each waiting for the betrayal to be expected of a sidhe.
It is rather annoying that Saintcrow re-"created" the spellings of some of the basics, like "brughnie". I thought it was some sort of Unseelie-like creature. Duh. And what's with Unwinter? Sounds like the opposite of Winter, when I think Saintcrow was aiming for a wintry feel.
Just so you know, there are two trailer parks with the first one mentioned, the one where Robin grew up. It was quite confusing until I figured it out, eventually. I do wish I’d known it at the time, as it would have rendered Robin’s thoughts more poignant.
And now that I've written up this review, I can dive right in to Roadside Magic !
The Story
Rumors abound as to who spread the blackboil plague, and fear arises when it’s the full-blooded sidhe who succumb.
It leads to blackmail by Robin, for she wants Sean safe from the queen who uses her as an errand girl. Unwinter is also to be feared as he sends his assassins for the Realmaker. No sidhe can be trusted and Robin is desperate to rescue her young friend.
Gallow also has reason to hate, er, fear the fae and their manipulation. And Robin is simply another sidhe to distrust.
The Characters
Robin Ragged is half-fae, half-human with a voice to die for, literally, and born into a human family. She’s also a Realmaker, making her valuable. Sean is the little mortal boy who woke Summer’s jealousy, held hostage by Summer for Robin’s loyalty.
Jeremiah Gallow, a.k.a., the Queensglass, is half-fae, half-human and had once been the Summer Queen’s Armourmaster, a knight carrying a dwarven-inked lance, until he fell in love. In the human world, he works in construction…and would welcome death. Daisy Snowe is the woman with whom he fell in love. Daddy Snowe had been a delivery driver who railed against his young daughter, and then grew too interested.
In Gallow’s life
Clyde is the foreman on the jobsite. Panko is a co-worker who likes the Wagon Wheel, a dive patronized by the construction workers. Sylvia is the office manager on-site. In the trailer park Gallow calls home, his next door neighbors are Melody and the abusive Paul Garnier; Cathy is one of their children. Mama Loth, not sidhe, but not human either, lives on the other side. Bob Haskell has his dead van.
The Rolling Oak is a pub considered free ground. Peleaster is the Cook with her tentacles. Kosthril the Mammoth, the bartender, is half-giant, half-drow with four arms.
Robin "Puck" Goodfellow is the Fatherless, the mischievous and underhanded, who rules the free sidhe. When he plays his pipe, sidhe die. When he bares his knife, wyrmsting venom collects.
Tanglemire Park and the old Garden Faire are free-sidhe refuges in the human world. Ardie Meg, a brughnie, had once run a coffee shop. Parsifleur Pidge is a Twisted tree wight, stretched and hungry, who lives down in the subway.
The Seelie Court is…
…ruled by Summer, and she is "the fount of Faerie". Thomas Rinevale is her harper, and in favor. Brenna Highgate and the lady of Dunhill are two of her ladies-in-waiting. Paogreer was a grentooth. Ilara Feathersalt has left the Court because Summer ensnared her lover, Braghn Moran. Arcad Shallowdraft is another favorite, jealous of the mortal Sean. Archane the Quiring is a stealer who kidnaps young mortals for the queen’s amusement. Broghan the Black is her current Armormaster. Fuillpine had been a friend of Jeremiah’s. Morische the Cobbler had given Robin enchanted shoes. Ghilliedhu girls are birch dryads.
Henzler is the mortal-Tainted scientist and teacher infatuated with Summer.
The Unseelie Court is…
…ruled by Unwinter. The creatures of his court include high-blood wights, kelpies in the fens, nymphs of the shade, sharptooth selkies, night-mares, singing mergirls, kobolding, jennies and jacks, hobs, galleytrots, churchgrims, and tribes of the Dak’r Wood: drow, brugnie, smalltroll, Tangles, gytrash, woodwight, trollwrights, grennik, and grentooth. Haahrhne.
The dwarves with…
…whom Robin treats are the black dwarves and mostly Unseelie. Black MacDonnell is pretty disgusting. Figurh is one of his clansmen with a warning for Robin.
The Sundering is what they call the quarrel that rose up between Summer and Unwinter. A brughnie is a brownie. Twisted means to be a mutated sidhe unable to use glamor or chantments. A quirpiece is a silver coin holding an enchantment.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a range of brilliant blues from the crackling light of Gallow’s lance and the magic swirling around his many tattoos to the dusky light that shades his trailer, the pavement, and his motorcycle. He’s a gorgeous man, and so much younger than I pictured him. I do like that sense of the trailer park with the crushed can, the aged trailer’s sides, and Gallow slumped forward in the red-and-white striped metal lawn chair. It’s a determined man, his focus straight out at us. The title is centered at the top and ob either side of Gallow’s head in a bulky red with the author’s name in a glowing white at the bottom, split by the lance head. Down the calf of each leg is an endorsement in white from two other popular authors.
The title is where the story begins, with the Trailer Park Fae.
My Take
This is good, a weedy, alley-ridden home to trailer parks and divey bars into which sidhe treachery and betrayal leaps. It reminds me of Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series with its low-class settings while Gallow’s character is a blend of the enigmatic Barron from Fever, the compassion of Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files, and the skill and darkness of Cal from Robin Thurman’s Cal Leandros. Now Robin’s character…she’s practically out of Mercedes Lackey’s Bardic Voices.
Saintcrow presents an interesting contrast of Robin’s delight in her escape into Faerie away from her stepfather and today's thoughts of darkness toward Summer. Another horrifying contrast is the supposed light of the Seelie Court with those carved-bark trees, the cruelty and downright nastiness of Summer. I do wish I better understood why Unwinter was after Robin…
Now, don't go to thinking it's actually like any of these other series; they simply remind me of them. Sure it has the background conflict of the long-ago quarrel between Summer and Unwinter, once a couple and now deadly enemies. And it's a rift Goodfellow makes good use of with betrayal, treachery, and cruelty from all three sides, but Saintcrow makes Trailer Park Fae distinctly it's own.
The story uses a multiple third person point-of-view, if only so we can experience Robin’s, Gallow’s, and other characters’ actions, thoughts, and dialogue with a pair of protagonists who are fearsomely wary of each other, each waiting for the betrayal to be expected of a sidhe.
It is rather annoying that Saintcrow re-"created" the spellings of some of the basics, like "brughnie". I thought it was some sort of Unseelie-like creature. Duh. And what's with Unwinter? Sounds like the opposite of Winter, when I think Saintcrow was aiming for a wintry feel.
Just so you know, there are two trailer parks with the first one mentioned, the one where Robin grew up. It was quite confusing until I figured it out, eventually. I do wish I’d known it at the time, as it would have rendered Robin’s thoughts more poignant.
And now that I've written up this review, I can dive right in to Roadside Magic !
The Story
Rumors abound as to who spread the blackboil plague, and fear arises when it’s the full-blooded sidhe who succumb.
It leads to blackmail by Robin, for she wants Sean safe from the queen who uses her as an errand girl. Unwinter is also to be feared as he sends his assassins for the Realmaker. No sidhe can be trusted and Robin is desperate to rescue her young friend.
Gallow also has reason to hate, er, fear the fae and their manipulation. And Robin is simply another sidhe to distrust.
The Characters
Robin Ragged is half-fae, half-human with a voice to die for, literally, and born into a human family. She’s also a Realmaker, making her valuable. Sean is the little mortal boy who woke Summer’s jealousy, held hostage by Summer for Robin’s loyalty.
Jeremiah Gallow, a.k.a., the Queensglass, is half-fae, half-human and had once been the Summer Queen’s Armourmaster, a knight carrying a dwarven-inked lance, until he fell in love. In the human world, he works in construction…and would welcome death. Daisy Snowe is the woman with whom he fell in love. Daddy Snowe had been a delivery driver who railed against his young daughter, and then grew too interested.
In Gallow’s life
Clyde is the foreman on the jobsite. Panko is a co-worker who likes the Wagon Wheel, a dive patronized by the construction workers. Sylvia is the office manager on-site. In the trailer park Gallow calls home, his next door neighbors are Melody and the abusive Paul Garnier; Cathy is one of their children. Mama Loth, not sidhe, but not human either, lives on the other side. Bob Haskell has his dead van.
The Rolling Oak is a pub considered free ground. Peleaster is the Cook with her tentacles. Kosthril the Mammoth, the bartender, is half-giant, half-drow with four arms.
Robin "Puck" Goodfellow is the Fatherless, the mischievous and underhanded, who rules the free sidhe. When he plays his pipe, sidhe die. When he bares his knife, wyrmsting venom collects.
Tanglemire Park and the old Garden Faire are free-sidhe refuges in the human world. Ardie Meg, a brughnie, had once run a coffee shop. Parsifleur Pidge is a Twisted tree wight, stretched and hungry, who lives down in the subway.
The Seelie Court is…
…ruled by Summer, and she is "the fount of Faerie". Thomas Rinevale is her harper, and in favor. Brenna Highgate and the lady of Dunhill are two of her ladies-in-waiting. Paogreer was a grentooth. Ilara Feathersalt has left the Court because Summer ensnared her lover, Braghn Moran. Arcad Shallowdraft is another favorite, jealous of the mortal Sean. Archane the Quiring is a stealer who kidnaps young mortals for the queen’s amusement. Broghan the Black is her current Armormaster. Fuillpine had been a friend of Jeremiah’s. Morische the Cobbler had given Robin enchanted shoes. Ghilliedhu girls are birch dryads.
Henzler is the mortal-Tainted scientist and teacher infatuated with Summer.
The Unseelie Court is…
…ruled by Unwinter. The creatures of his court include high-blood wights, kelpies in the fens, nymphs of the shade, sharptooth selkies, night-mares, singing mergirls, kobolding, jennies and jacks, hobs, galleytrots, churchgrims, and tribes of the Dak’r Wood: drow, brugnie, smalltroll, Tangles, gytrash, woodwight, trollwrights, grennik, and grentooth. Haahrhne.
The dwarves with…
…whom Robin treats are the black dwarves and mostly Unseelie. Black MacDonnell is pretty disgusting. Figurh is one of his clansmen with a warning for Robin.
The Sundering is what they call the quarrel that rose up between Summer and Unwinter. A brughnie is a brownie. Twisted means to be a mutated sidhe unable to use glamor or chantments. A quirpiece is a silver coin holding an enchantment.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a range of brilliant blues from the crackling light of Gallow’s lance and the magic swirling around his many tattoos to the dusky light that shades his trailer, the pavement, and his motorcycle. He’s a gorgeous man, and so much younger than I pictured him. I do like that sense of the trailer park with the crushed can, the aged trailer’s sides, and Gallow slumped forward in the red-and-white striped metal lawn chair. It’s a determined man, his focus straight out at us. The title is centered at the top and ob either side of Gallow’s head in a bulky red with the author’s name in a glowing white at the bottom, split by the lance head. Down the calf of each leg is an endorsement in white from two other popular authors.
The title is where the story begins, with the Trailer Park Fae.
March 27, 2022
This book got on my radar because a friend picked up a promotional poster of the cover for me at the local science-fiction fantasy convention.
The writing style is more flowery than I’m used to these days, but it basically fits the fae elements of the story. Highborn fae of both Summer and (what’s called here) Unwinter are cruel and capricious. This version of Puck is a startlingly nasty predator.
I found Jeremiah Gallow very likeable. I have a soft spot for grieving widowers who’ve gone years without being interested in another woman. He’s a good man at this point in his life—though he has a past in which he’s done not-so-nice things. Robin Ragged is more of a puzzle, but part of the story is the mystery of her origins and whether she has a connection to Jeremiah’s late wife.
The reader does a very good job. The story kept my interest, and I want to find out what happens next.
The writing style is more flowery than I’m used to these days, but it basically fits the fae elements of the story. Highborn fae of both Summer and (what’s called here) Unwinter are cruel and capricious. This version of Puck is a startlingly nasty predator.
I found Jeremiah Gallow very likeable. I have a soft spot for grieving widowers who’ve gone years without being interested in another woman. He’s a good man at this point in his life—though he has a past in which he’s done not-so-nice things. Robin Ragged is more of a puzzle, but part of the story is the mystery of her origins and whether she has a connection to Jeremiah’s late wife.
The reader does a very good job. The story kept my interest, and I want to find out what happens next.
September 22, 2015
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
For all of its intriguing cover and title, TRAILER PARK FAE has a lot more fae and a lot less trailer park than one would expect. Frequently confusing, full of characters with multiples names, with a plot that didn't make itself clear until way farther through the book than it should have, TRAILER PARK FAE is a different take on fae in urban fantasy, but a bit of a slow read.
Jeremiah Gallow, our titular trailer park fae, is the character who kept me reading the book. With an interesting backstory that is only hinted at, Jeremy is the most intriguing character in the book. While sometimes his motives are clear, like most of the other characters, was a twisty fellow, not always taking the path I expected him to take.
If the characters in TRAILER PARK FAE were a reflection on Saintcrow's take on the fae, all backstabbing betrayals and murky motives, then she succeed. Unfortunately, this made for a rough start to a book, as it switched from one character to another, never quite clear on what was going on. This one was very difficult for me to get through, with characters that weren't able to hold my attention (other than Jeremy), court intrigue that merely made my head spin in it's lack of clarity and a plot-line that didn't seem to form until halfway through the book.
While the payoff at the end was almost satisfying, there are definitely hints at more, and it is clear that TRAILER PARK FAE sets up the Gallow and Ragged series. Readers with lots of patience and curiosity will find TRAILER PARK FAE right up their alley, but those who like a quicker return on their investment may want to skip this one.
Sexual content: N/A
For all of its intriguing cover and title, TRAILER PARK FAE has a lot more fae and a lot less trailer park than one would expect. Frequently confusing, full of characters with multiples names, with a plot that didn't make itself clear until way farther through the book than it should have, TRAILER PARK FAE is a different take on fae in urban fantasy, but a bit of a slow read.
Jeremiah Gallow, our titular trailer park fae, is the character who kept me reading the book. With an interesting backstory that is only hinted at, Jeremy is the most intriguing character in the book. While sometimes his motives are clear, like most of the other characters, was a twisty fellow, not always taking the path I expected him to take.
If the characters in TRAILER PARK FAE were a reflection on Saintcrow's take on the fae, all backstabbing betrayals and murky motives, then she succeed. Unfortunately, this made for a rough start to a book, as it switched from one character to another, never quite clear on what was going on. This one was very difficult for me to get through, with characters that weren't able to hold my attention (other than Jeremy), court intrigue that merely made my head spin in it's lack of clarity and a plot-line that didn't seem to form until halfway through the book.
While the payoff at the end was almost satisfying, there are definitely hints at more, and it is clear that TRAILER PARK FAE sets up the Gallow and Ragged series. Readers with lots of patience and curiosity will find TRAILER PARK FAE right up their alley, but those who like a quicker return on their investment may want to skip this one.
Sexual content: N/A
March 15, 2017
I was looking out for this book as Kevin Hearne recommended it. It was about Fae, which I tend to like. And her name is Lilith, let's be honest. So I was super excited when I found a copy of it in a bookshop in Berkeley last year.
And jeez, what a let down. The lore was super complicated, and there was no introduction to anyone. You were just plonked in the middle of a world and expected to work it all out for yourself. Thank god I know who Puck/Robin Goodfellow is, as I would have probably thought he was three different people. Three faerie realms and our world and not really sure how they all work and interact and who's who and what's that thing and my head hurts. I do not like being spoon fed things, but I do like being given cutlery to eat my soup.
And then, if it wasn't confusing enough, let's make the faeries speak to each other in a bastardised form of 15th century English. So once you finally get your head around what the hell they are saying, you find out you don't understand it anyway, because they are talking about Puck or Goodfellow or Robin and is that the same bloke I'm not sure what is going on anymore. Lastly, for an immortal creature known for trickery, Jeremiah is a bit slow on the uptake for a major plot twist. I got it almost straight away.
Reading reviews of other series of this author, I'll try something else one day. I just need time to get over my disappointment of a book recommended by a favourite author brought back in my borderline overweight luggage from halfway around the world. *sniff*
And jeez, what a let down. The lore was super complicated, and there was no introduction to anyone. You were just plonked in the middle of a world and expected to work it all out for yourself. Thank god I know who Puck/Robin Goodfellow is, as I would have probably thought he was three different people. Three faerie realms and our world and not really sure how they all work and interact and who's who and what's that thing and my head hurts. I do not like being spoon fed things, but I do like being given cutlery to eat my soup.
And then, if it wasn't confusing enough, let's make the faeries speak to each other in a bastardised form of 15th century English. So once you finally get your head around what the hell they are saying, you find out you don't understand it anyway, because they are talking about Puck or Goodfellow or Robin and is that the same bloke I'm not sure what is going on anymore. Lastly, for an immortal creature known for trickery, Jeremiah is a bit slow on the uptake for a major plot twist. I got it almost straight away.
Reading reviews of other series of this author, I'll try something else one day. I just need time to get over my disappointment of a book recommended by a favourite author brought back in my borderline overweight luggage from halfway around the world. *sniff*
June 21, 2025
yipes! DNF.
February 21, 2017
This is a very well done bloody twisted trickster tale.
Don't fuck with the fair folk, people.
Don't fuck with the fair folk, people.
June 25, 2015
First read June 24th 2015
Interesting premise, more old world fey than the usual fare. The two main characters are interesting and unfold as the story does.
There's drama and adventure, in a plot that is more about our two getting caught in power wrangling between the Seelie, UnSeelie & Free Fey - and how they try and survive it.
Interesting premise, more old world fey than the usual fare. The two main characters are interesting and unfold as the story does.
There's drama and adventure, in a plot that is more about our two getting caught in power wrangling between the Seelie, UnSeelie & Free Fey - and how they try and survive it.
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