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The Arcadia Project #2
Phantom Pains
Four months ago, Millie left the Arcadia Project after losing her partner Teo to the lethal magic of an Unseelie fey countess. Now, on what's meant to be a last visit to the scene of the crime, Millie and her former boss, Caryl, encounter what seems to be Teo’s tormented ghost. One problem: according to Caryl, ghosts don’t exist.
Millie has a new life, a stressful new job, and no time to get pulled back into the Project's chaos, but she agrees to tell agents from the Project's National Headquarters her side of the ghost story. During her visit, an agent is gruesomely murdered in a way only Caryl could have accomplished. Millie knows Caryl is innocent, but the only chance she has to save her from the Project’s severe, off-the-books justice is to uncover the mystery behind incorporeal fey known as wraiths. Why has the centuries-old Project never heard of them? And how do you fight an enemy that is only seen when it wants to be seen? Millie must answer these questions not just to save Caryl, but to foil an insidious, arcane terrorist plot that would leave two worlds in ruins.
Millie has a new life, a stressful new job, and no time to get pulled back into the Project's chaos, but she agrees to tell agents from the Project's National Headquarters her side of the ghost story. During her visit, an agent is gruesomely murdered in a way only Caryl could have accomplished. Millie knows Caryl is innocent, but the only chance she has to save her from the Project’s severe, off-the-books justice is to uncover the mystery behind incorporeal fey known as wraiths. Why has the centuries-old Project never heard of them? And how do you fight an enemy that is only seen when it wants to be seen? Millie must answer these questions not just to save Caryl, but to foil an insidious, arcane terrorist plot that would leave two worlds in ruins.
416 pages, ebook
First published March 21, 2017
86 people are currently reading
1055 people want to read
About the author
Mishell Baker
10 books228 followersAuthor of Nebula finalist/Tiptree Honor Book BORDERLINE. Repped by Russell Galen. Mother, language nerd, MH advocate, Guardian of Liberty.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews
April 13, 2018
3.75ish stars.
Millie Roper. One of the best characters in UF to emerge in the last while. She's a little out there. A little blunt. A little unstable. She's impulsive and, even when she tries, doesn't follow any system of rules, legal or personal. It. Is. Awesome. I love how she manages to dig herself so far down into massive piles of crap but somehow always manages to dig herself back out. Granted, the scent of the crap lingers and the repercussions carry on, but it's nothing if not interesting.
While she's what really sets this UF series apart from the crowd, there's a pretty awesome supporting cast including her Echo, Claybriar, and her sort-of-boss-but-not-really? Caryl. Along with some fresh faces including Brand the manticore and Blesskin the adorable, ancient, cherub-like faerie with the mental capacity of a toddler, there's no end to the wisecracks and shenanigans. I liked this book only slightly less than the first if only because this one seemed not quite as edgy or hilarious.
It's a fascinating world and the glitzy LA setting continues to enchant, but there's a lot of expansion in this book both in our world and Arcadia, land of the fae. Some cool story elements are introduced and there are a lot of directions Baker can take us throughout the journey. Personally I hope Blesskin is elevated to some all-powerful dictator status but I'm sure whatever happens will be just as ridiculous and entertaining.
Millie Roper. One of the best characters in UF to emerge in the last while. She's a little out there. A little blunt. A little unstable. She's impulsive and, even when she tries, doesn't follow any system of rules, legal or personal. It. Is. Awesome. I love how she manages to dig herself so far down into massive piles of crap but somehow always manages to dig herself back out. Granted, the scent of the crap lingers and the repercussions carry on, but it's nothing if not interesting.
While she's what really sets this UF series apart from the crowd, there's a pretty awesome supporting cast including her Echo, Claybriar, and her sort-of-boss-but-not-really? Caryl. Along with some fresh faces including Brand the manticore and Blesskin the adorable, ancient, cherub-like faerie with the mental capacity of a toddler, there's no end to the wisecracks and shenanigans. I liked this book only slightly less than the first if only because this one seemed not quite as edgy or hilarious.
It's a fascinating world and the glitzy LA setting continues to enchant, but there's a lot of expansion in this book both in our world and Arcadia, land of the fae. Some cool story elements are introduced and there are a lot of directions Baker can take us throughout the journey. Personally I hope Blesskin is elevated to some all-powerful dictator status but I'm sure whatever happens will be just as ridiculous and entertaining.
December 28, 2019
Still fabulous. And so lovely weird: we even got a striptease involving a potentially frolicking faun, 'evening plans' aka masturbation, a talking manticore doggie, multiple possessions and a lot of other fun.
Q:
I noted my disappointment without judging myself for it, as my shrink had taught me. (c)
Q:
I was pretty good at mobilizing people and getting answers from them, but the rest of my job was tailor-made to remind me hourly of my weaknesses: low stress tolerance, faulty memory, general misanthropy.
Q:
“What time is she coming?”
There was no way I was telling her that. “She didn’t say,” I extemporized, which was technically true, since I’d been the one to set the time.
Q:
“... He used to send me the loveliest letters, until I grew old enough to write back and ask him politely to stop.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure I’d enjoy being pen pals with a flaming-eyed skeleton either. Do you think the rejection offended him?” (c)
Q:
If we have different opinions of her competence, what makes you so sure yours is correct? You and I are informed in different ways; we could help each other. (c)
Q:
Keeping the peace was like trying to juggle a razor, a bowling ball, and a vibrating dildo... (c)
Q:
I think someone up there is trying to tell you something. (c)
Q:
I would give you my hand in greeting, but the iron in you sings like a struck bell. (c)
Q:
He saved my life...
Not on purpose... His life just happened to be near mine at the time. (c)
Q:
“I understand almost nothing in that sentence.” (c)
Q:
If the king of the Unseelie Court was lost, I was decidedly fucked. (c)
Q:
A ‘spirit’? That is the stuff of myth.”
“And yet we’re interviewing one.” (c)
Q:
Not to parrot my shrink, but would it be too much to ask for you to practice some radical acceptance, dump the denial, and start looking for solutions? (c)
Q:
The king gave a deliberate, patient sigh that made it strangely easy to picture him raising a kid. (c)
Q:
We’re not as much like humans as the sidhe are. Not sure if that’s because we hardly ever interact with humans, or if our idiocy is the reason we don’t interact. Either way, most fauns have awful memories and no ability to reason. Can’t learn about arcana or science or how things work. So we just—make up our own stories based on how things feel. (c)
Q:
I had this idea of who he was: a tortured angel, keeping his heart locked away to protect himself. Turned out he was more like—an abandoned house where nothing worked anymore except the security system. ...
What destroyed me more than losing him was having to go back and rewrite everything that had ever happened between us, everything I’d thought was romantic and magical. To see it from his perspective and realize how hollow and sleazy it all was. It broke me. (c)
Q:
We’re all of us monsters of some kind (c)
Q:
“Well, I’m a faun. Right? I—frolic. That’s pretty much how fauns kill time.”
“Oh... So you—get around.”
“Does that bother you?”
“No, no, I mean, who among us hasn’t had an orgy in a magical forest, right? Good on you.” (с)
Q:
The idea of ‘radical acceptance’ is that sometimes in order to reduce suffering, you have to stop fighting the situation and do the counterintuitive thing. Wholeheartedly embrace reality, spiky bits and all.” ...
When you stop saying, I shouldn’t be in this mess! and start saying, I am in this mess; what next? supposedly it sets you free, makes things much less painful, and your eyes are clear to see solutions.” (c)
Q:
Maybe we should find out why it’s mad, what it wants.”
“Wants? Millie, we’re talking about a creature the size of an elephant with three rows of serrated teeth. It wants to eat. Without chewing.” (c)
Q:
The sensation could best be described as a painless explosion that vaporized my entire being, then said “just kidding” and casually put me back together in the same arrangement I started with. (c)
... Q:
Arcadia reflects the aggregate of its citizens’ desires and expectations. Reality here exists largely by consensus. (c)
Q:
Spells, venomous spines, and sarcasm. Great.
Q:
“You are the Grand Duchess of Understatement.”
Q:
“Just—don’t attack anything that could sit down with me for a game of cards, okay?”
“You’ve just described every source of meat in Arcadia.”
“Oh... Uh, any chance of you going vegetarian?”
“Nope.” (c)
Q:
Sometimes you have to assist people a little bit in the process of getting over you. (с)
Q:
Unfortunately the only person who can drive me anywhere is possessed. (c)
Q:
I had the distinct impression that Belinda had simply stared down the hotel staff until they’d brought her scones and clotted cream with due ceremony. (с) Fab 'people skills'!
Q:
“I mean, suicide seems like a weird reaction to being told people are trying to kill you.” (c)
Q:
For fey, artifacts from other ages are keys to memories otherwise lost. (c)
Q:
The older I become with my mind stubbornly intact, the more certain I become that the fey’s amnesia is all that permits them to live so long. (c)
Q:
“Imagine I was your boyfriend... And you were about to meet my mother.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Not yet, you don’t. Now imagine that your boyfriend’s mother ruled the entire world, and was crazy as a bag of cats, and could compel your boyfriend, if the whim struck her, never to talk to you again.” (c)
Q:
“Simplify? I can do that. Rule one: act like she’s the pinnacle of all creation and worship her with every nuance of your being.”
“Uh . . . okay, gotcha.”
“Rule two: don’t show the slightest hint of unhappiness, stress, or impatience—act like we’re all going to live forever and everything is peachy, and we’re all just here to have a good time.”
“Ho boy.”
“Rule three—probably the most important: do not be boring.”
“I . . . really don’t want to do this.”
“You just broke all three rules in one sentence.”
I considered hitting him, but then got distracted ... (c)
Q:
I relaxed my shoulders, took a deep breath, plastered a huge, ear-to-ear smile on my face, and waited for my mood to catch up. (c)
Q:
You think I want to miss a chance to face down a giant monster that’s afraid to eat me? Not a chance. In fact, I think that’s exactly what I need right now. (c)
Q:
“I guess fey are allowed to lie, as long as it’s to themselves.” (c)
Q:
“I’m afraid they don’t make dogs your size... Not outside of hell, anyway.” (c)
Q:
“Are you ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” said Throebrand. “Dog me.” (c)
Q:
“Fine,” said the dog. (c)
Q:
“You know her? You can introduce us?”
“I’m welcome in her office basically any time, as long as I have good news. If not, she’ll throw things at me until I leave.” (c)
Q:
But there was no magic this time. Just the nearness of an otherwise sane man who was genuinely, thoroughly weak-kneed with adoration. I would have let him have me, horns and all, if he could have. (c)
Q:
My competence tended to come in irregular streaks. (c)
Q:
“Is there anyone left in the fucking universe who hasn’t been possessed?” (c)
Q:
“Forgive my skepticism, but you seem to spend a lot of time explaining things to people who have worked at the Arcadia Project most of their lives. Why is that?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe because I’m the only one confused enough to still be asking questions. (c)
Q:
“It’s the definition of ‘people’ that’s starting to concern me. In what way does the manticore, for example, not qualify?” (c)
Q:
We don’t have to break rules. If the rules are meant to be reasonable, let’s revisit them. Let’s adjust them to allow for, you know, not trapping the entirety of a species in a big dark room indefinitely.” (c)
Q:
“It is interesting, having access to all of one’s most irrational impulses. At times, passion for others, or for an ideal, is a source of strength.” (c)
Q:
You may be three thousand years old and scary as shit, but when it comes to right here and now, you’re a fucking noob. So why don’t you sit the fuck down and listen to the people who know. (c)
Q:
I’d gone into this thing hoping to put down a revolution, and somewhere along the way I’d ended up starting a whole new one. But that was all right. I’d spent most of my life fighting; at least now I was trying to tear down something other than myself. And this time, everyone who mattered was fighting right there with me. (c)
Q:
I noted my disappointment without judging myself for it, as my shrink had taught me. (c)
Q:
I was pretty good at mobilizing people and getting answers from them, but the rest of my job was tailor-made to remind me hourly of my weaknesses: low stress tolerance, faulty memory, general misanthropy.
Q:
“What time is she coming?”
There was no way I was telling her that. “She didn’t say,” I extemporized, which was technically true, since I’d been the one to set the time.
Q:
“... He used to send me the loveliest letters, until I grew old enough to write back and ask him politely to stop.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure I’d enjoy being pen pals with a flaming-eyed skeleton either. Do you think the rejection offended him?” (c)
Q:
If we have different opinions of her competence, what makes you so sure yours is correct? You and I are informed in different ways; we could help each other. (c)
Q:
Keeping the peace was like trying to juggle a razor, a bowling ball, and a vibrating dildo... (c)
Q:
I think someone up there is trying to tell you something. (c)
Q:
I would give you my hand in greeting, but the iron in you sings like a struck bell. (c)
Q:
He saved my life...
Not on purpose... His life just happened to be near mine at the time. (c)
Q:
“I understand almost nothing in that sentence.” (c)
Q:
If the king of the Unseelie Court was lost, I was decidedly fucked. (c)
Q:
A ‘spirit’? That is the stuff of myth.”
“And yet we’re interviewing one.” (c)
Q:
Not to parrot my shrink, but would it be too much to ask for you to practice some radical acceptance, dump the denial, and start looking for solutions? (c)
Q:
The king gave a deliberate, patient sigh that made it strangely easy to picture him raising a kid. (c)
Q:
We’re not as much like humans as the sidhe are. Not sure if that’s because we hardly ever interact with humans, or if our idiocy is the reason we don’t interact. Either way, most fauns have awful memories and no ability to reason. Can’t learn about arcana or science or how things work. So we just—make up our own stories based on how things feel. (c)
Q:
I had this idea of who he was: a tortured angel, keeping his heart locked away to protect himself. Turned out he was more like—an abandoned house where nothing worked anymore except the security system. ...
What destroyed me more than losing him was having to go back and rewrite everything that had ever happened between us, everything I’d thought was romantic and magical. To see it from his perspective and realize how hollow and sleazy it all was. It broke me. (c)
Q:
We’re all of us monsters of some kind (c)
Q:
“Well, I’m a faun. Right? I—frolic. That’s pretty much how fauns kill time.”
“Oh... So you—get around.”
“Does that bother you?”
“No, no, I mean, who among us hasn’t had an orgy in a magical forest, right? Good on you.” (с)
Q:
The idea of ‘radical acceptance’ is that sometimes in order to reduce suffering, you have to stop fighting the situation and do the counterintuitive thing. Wholeheartedly embrace reality, spiky bits and all.” ...
When you stop saying, I shouldn’t be in this mess! and start saying, I am in this mess; what next? supposedly it sets you free, makes things much less painful, and your eyes are clear to see solutions.” (c)
Q:
Maybe we should find out why it’s mad, what it wants.”
“Wants? Millie, we’re talking about a creature the size of an elephant with three rows of serrated teeth. It wants to eat. Without chewing.” (c)
Q:
The sensation could best be described as a painless explosion that vaporized my entire being, then said “just kidding” and casually put me back together in the same arrangement I started with. (c)
... Q:
Arcadia reflects the aggregate of its citizens’ desires and expectations. Reality here exists largely by consensus. (c)
Q:
Spells, venomous spines, and sarcasm. Great.
Q:
“You are the Grand Duchess of Understatement.”
Q:
“Just—don’t attack anything that could sit down with me for a game of cards, okay?”
“You’ve just described every source of meat in Arcadia.”
“Oh... Uh, any chance of you going vegetarian?”
“Nope.” (c)
Q:
Sometimes you have to assist people a little bit in the process of getting over you. (с)
Q:
Unfortunately the only person who can drive me anywhere is possessed. (c)
Q:
I had the distinct impression that Belinda had simply stared down the hotel staff until they’d brought her scones and clotted cream with due ceremony. (с) Fab 'people skills'!
Q:
“I mean, suicide seems like a weird reaction to being told people are trying to kill you.” (c)
Q:
For fey, artifacts from other ages are keys to memories otherwise lost. (c)
Q:
The older I become with my mind stubbornly intact, the more certain I become that the fey’s amnesia is all that permits them to live so long. (c)
Q:
“Imagine I was your boyfriend... And you were about to meet my mother.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Not yet, you don’t. Now imagine that your boyfriend’s mother ruled the entire world, and was crazy as a bag of cats, and could compel your boyfriend, if the whim struck her, never to talk to you again.” (c)
Q:
“Simplify? I can do that. Rule one: act like she’s the pinnacle of all creation and worship her with every nuance of your being.”
“Uh . . . okay, gotcha.”
“Rule two: don’t show the slightest hint of unhappiness, stress, or impatience—act like we’re all going to live forever and everything is peachy, and we’re all just here to have a good time.”
“Ho boy.”
“Rule three—probably the most important: do not be boring.”
“I . . . really don’t want to do this.”
“You just broke all three rules in one sentence.”
I considered hitting him, but then got distracted ... (c)
Q:
I relaxed my shoulders, took a deep breath, plastered a huge, ear-to-ear smile on my face, and waited for my mood to catch up. (c)
Q:
You think I want to miss a chance to face down a giant monster that’s afraid to eat me? Not a chance. In fact, I think that’s exactly what I need right now. (c)
Q:
“I guess fey are allowed to lie, as long as it’s to themselves.” (c)
Q:
“I’m afraid they don’t make dogs your size... Not outside of hell, anyway.” (c)
Q:
“Are you ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” said Throebrand. “Dog me.” (c)
Q:
“Fine,” said the dog. (c)
Q:
“You know her? You can introduce us?”
“I’m welcome in her office basically any time, as long as I have good news. If not, she’ll throw things at me until I leave.” (c)
Q:
But there was no magic this time. Just the nearness of an otherwise sane man who was genuinely, thoroughly weak-kneed with adoration. I would have let him have me, horns and all, if he could have. (c)
Q:
My competence tended to come in irregular streaks. (c)
Q:
“Is there anyone left in the fucking universe who hasn’t been possessed?” (c)
Q:
“Forgive my skepticism, but you seem to spend a lot of time explaining things to people who have worked at the Arcadia Project most of their lives. Why is that?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe because I’m the only one confused enough to still be asking questions. (c)
Q:
“It’s the definition of ‘people’ that’s starting to concern me. In what way does the manticore, for example, not qualify?” (c)
Q:
We don’t have to break rules. If the rules are meant to be reasonable, let’s revisit them. Let’s adjust them to allow for, you know, not trapping the entirety of a species in a big dark room indefinitely.” (c)
Q:
“It is interesting, having access to all of one’s most irrational impulses. At times, passion for others, or for an ideal, is a source of strength.” (c)
Q:
You may be three thousand years old and scary as shit, but when it comes to right here and now, you’re a fucking noob. So why don’t you sit the fuck down and listen to the people who know. (c)
Q:
I’d gone into this thing hoping to put down a revolution, and somewhere along the way I’d ended up starting a whole new one. But that was all right. I’d spent most of my life fighting; at least now I was trying to tear down something other than myself. And this time, everyone who mattered was fighting right there with me. (c)
June 8, 2017
The fae and a Borderline Personality Disorder main character... what could go wrong?
Well after the first book, we know that the answer is plenty, and Millie is outta there... but the second book proves that anyone can be dragged back in. All you need is a murder charge, someone you love someone you can destroy, and a mystical contract to keep your mentally-sick-butt in one place long enough to keep your mouth shut and not destroy all your chances at happiness.
Seriously. From a psychological thriller viewpoint, this UF is spot-on and awesome. Being a borderline in the world of the fae just means that you have permission to be as crazy as they... except that they have power and you don't, and while your life is swirling down the toilet, you just don't care what you have to do while you're in the grip of your Thing.
It's a delightfully wicked turn and all of that continues quite nicely in this sequel. Phantom Pains may not be quite as shocking as the first, but the build-up for the world is solid. We get more of the LA movie studios, a lot more fae, and the inclusion of some cool new seelie and unseelie court people and beasties, a lot more politics, and some magical slavery that makes for a rather big ending.
I'm going to be following this UF very closely. The characters are quite awesome. I especially like Millie's echo even if he feels a little flat. Of course, ANYONE is going to feel a little flat before our flamboyantly destructive Millie, so I think it's a very nice balance. :)
Well after the first book, we know that the answer is plenty, and Millie is outta there... but the second book proves that anyone can be dragged back in. All you need is a murder charge, someone you love someone you can destroy, and a mystical contract to keep your mentally-sick-butt in one place long enough to keep your mouth shut and not destroy all your chances at happiness.
Seriously. From a psychological thriller viewpoint, this UF is spot-on and awesome. Being a borderline in the world of the fae just means that you have permission to be as crazy as they... except that they have power and you don't, and while your life is swirling down the toilet, you just don't care what you have to do while you're in the grip of your Thing.
It's a delightfully wicked turn and all of that continues quite nicely in this sequel. Phantom Pains may not be quite as shocking as the first, but the build-up for the world is solid. We get more of the LA movie studios, a lot more fae, and the inclusion of some cool new seelie and unseelie court people and beasties, a lot more politics, and some magical slavery that makes for a rather big ending.
I'm going to be following this UF very closely. The characters are quite awesome. I especially like Millie's echo even if he feels a little flat. Of course, ANYONE is going to feel a little flat before our flamboyantly destructive Millie, so I think it's a very nice balance. :)
March 20, 2017
5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/03/20/...
Last year Mishell Baker burst onto the scene and shook up the urban fantasy world with her debut Borderline, dazzling me with her fresh take on the genre. She also introduced us to Millie Roper, one of the most genuine and notable protagonists that I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. It is therefore with great excitement that I can say the sequel Phantom Pains is even better, stronger, and more inventive than its predecessor. The Arcadia Project, welcome to my favorite series shelf!
If you haven’t read the first book yet, 1) you’re missing out, and 2) you may want to catch up first before tackling this one. Phantom Pains begins approximately four months after we last saw Millie, who has left the Arcadia Project after the devastating loss of her partner Teo. The Hollywood soundstage upon which the incident happened has since been designated a magical crime scene, restricted to all but those who are savvy to Arcadia, the “other” realm where Fey and other supernatural creatures reside.
However, just as Millie and her former boss Caryl are carrying out their final inspection of the soundstage before clearing it to open again, something strange happens. A vision of a tormented Teo suddenly appears to Millie, beseeching her to “let him in”. Traumatized, Millie is only marginally comforted when Caryl tells her that it could not have been the spirit of Teo, since ghosts don’t exist. But if that’s true, then what did she see?
While reluctant to rejoin the Arcadia Project as a full agent, Millie does agree to help them get down to the bottom of this, if nothing else to get the soundstage up and running again so she can get a particularly nettlesome studio client off her back. For the first time in months, Millie returns to her old home of Residence Four, where she is scheduled to meet with two bigwigs from the Project’s National Headquarters. Soon after her meeting though, one of them is found brutally murdered with dark magic—the kind that only Caryl, a warlock, is capable of. Still, despite the overwhelming evidence, Millie is certain that Caryl didn’t do it. Painfully aware that she is her friend’s last and only hope, Millie must now gather whatever allies and resources she has left to try and clear Caryl’s name before it is too late.
Let’s start with how simply awesome Millie is as a protagonist. Phantom Pains continues to develop and grow her as a complex and fully-realized character, while also progressing her journey as a survivor. I could tell you that Millie has borderline personality disorder, or that a about a year ago she had a failed suicide attempt that caused her to lose her legs a promising film career. But the truth is though, those mere descriptions simply don’t do her justice. Millie is so much more, and once you pick up these books and experience her voice for yourself, you’ll know what I mean. It really speaks volumes about the author’s skills as a writer that she is able to convey the character’s tragic past and disabilities in an unflinchingly honest yet respectful manner, making her feel realistic and convincing without resorting to stereotypes. Outstandingly, Baker challenges our established views on disability in fiction simply by writing a fun and enjoyable story, and her protagonist is portrayed as she is: vulnerable but strong, flawed but indomitable, different but no less important.
Bottom line, I just love Millie, despite her not always being likeable. It’s true that she’s a straight-talker, and her BPD sometimes affects her emotionally, making her say or do impulsive things. Interestingly though, I find that she has mellowed out somewhat in Phantom Pains, her voice reflecting the ongoing treatment she reports to have been receiving in the four months since the events of Borderline. And on that note, I was also happy to find out that Millie and Caryl remained friends, even in the aftermath of all that happened. The two of them have a great dynamic, not to mention Caryl was one of my favorites from the first book and it thrilled me to see her play a bigger role in this sequel. If you aren’t familiar with Caryl’s circumstances I’m not going to spoil anything for you, though I will say that Phantom Pains revealed much more of her history and what I learned broke my heart into a million pieces.
And that brings us to the story, which was absolutely fantastic. While the plot may have been slower to take off and there were more holes in it than I would have liked, I am completely willing to forgive everything in light of how this book ended. It’s not going to be the epic conclusion you would expect in terms of style and tone, but for me the ending was still surprising and emotionally impactful, the kind that makes you look back and realize the entire story had been setting up for this moment. There is a very real kind of beauty in the way everything came together in the end, and of course Mishell Baker nailed it perfectly.
In sum, Borderline was great, and to my delight, Phantom Pains was even better. Bar none, The Arcadia Project is the most refreshing series to come out of the urban fantasy genre in years. Anyone who is a UF fan needs to do themselves a favor and check out these books right now!
Last year Mishell Baker burst onto the scene and shook up the urban fantasy world with her debut Borderline, dazzling me with her fresh take on the genre. She also introduced us to Millie Roper, one of the most genuine and notable protagonists that I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. It is therefore with great excitement that I can say the sequel Phantom Pains is even better, stronger, and more inventive than its predecessor. The Arcadia Project, welcome to my favorite series shelf!
If you haven’t read the first book yet, 1) you’re missing out, and 2) you may want to catch up first before tackling this one. Phantom Pains begins approximately four months after we last saw Millie, who has left the Arcadia Project after the devastating loss of her partner Teo. The Hollywood soundstage upon which the incident happened has since been designated a magical crime scene, restricted to all but those who are savvy to Arcadia, the “other” realm where Fey and other supernatural creatures reside.
However, just as Millie and her former boss Caryl are carrying out their final inspection of the soundstage before clearing it to open again, something strange happens. A vision of a tormented Teo suddenly appears to Millie, beseeching her to “let him in”. Traumatized, Millie is only marginally comforted when Caryl tells her that it could not have been the spirit of Teo, since ghosts don’t exist. But if that’s true, then what did she see?
While reluctant to rejoin the Arcadia Project as a full agent, Millie does agree to help them get down to the bottom of this, if nothing else to get the soundstage up and running again so she can get a particularly nettlesome studio client off her back. For the first time in months, Millie returns to her old home of Residence Four, where she is scheduled to meet with two bigwigs from the Project’s National Headquarters. Soon after her meeting though, one of them is found brutally murdered with dark magic—the kind that only Caryl, a warlock, is capable of. Still, despite the overwhelming evidence, Millie is certain that Caryl didn’t do it. Painfully aware that she is her friend’s last and only hope, Millie must now gather whatever allies and resources she has left to try and clear Caryl’s name before it is too late.
Let’s start with how simply awesome Millie is as a protagonist. Phantom Pains continues to develop and grow her as a complex and fully-realized character, while also progressing her journey as a survivor. I could tell you that Millie has borderline personality disorder, or that a about a year ago she had a failed suicide attempt that caused her to lose her legs a promising film career. But the truth is though, those mere descriptions simply don’t do her justice. Millie is so much more, and once you pick up these books and experience her voice for yourself, you’ll know what I mean. It really speaks volumes about the author’s skills as a writer that she is able to convey the character’s tragic past and disabilities in an unflinchingly honest yet respectful manner, making her feel realistic and convincing without resorting to stereotypes. Outstandingly, Baker challenges our established views on disability in fiction simply by writing a fun and enjoyable story, and her protagonist is portrayed as she is: vulnerable but strong, flawed but indomitable, different but no less important.
Bottom line, I just love Millie, despite her not always being likeable. It’s true that she’s a straight-talker, and her BPD sometimes affects her emotionally, making her say or do impulsive things. Interestingly though, I find that she has mellowed out somewhat in Phantom Pains, her voice reflecting the ongoing treatment she reports to have been receiving in the four months since the events of Borderline. And on that note, I was also happy to find out that Millie and Caryl remained friends, even in the aftermath of all that happened. The two of them have a great dynamic, not to mention Caryl was one of my favorites from the first book and it thrilled me to see her play a bigger role in this sequel. If you aren’t familiar with Caryl’s circumstances I’m not going to spoil anything for you, though I will say that Phantom Pains revealed much more of her history and what I learned broke my heart into a million pieces.
And that brings us to the story, which was absolutely fantastic. While the plot may have been slower to take off and there were more holes in it than I would have liked, I am completely willing to forgive everything in light of how this book ended. It’s not going to be the epic conclusion you would expect in terms of style and tone, but for me the ending was still surprising and emotionally impactful, the kind that makes you look back and realize the entire story had been setting up for this moment. There is a very real kind of beauty in the way everything came together in the end, and of course Mishell Baker nailed it perfectly.
In sum, Borderline was great, and to my delight, Phantom Pains was even better. Bar none, The Arcadia Project is the most refreshing series to come out of the urban fantasy genre in years. Anyone who is a UF fan needs to do themselves a favor and check out these books right now!
March 28, 2017
4.5 stars
Phantom Pains is a very worthy sequel, and continues to deliver the fresh take on UF that Baker introduced in Borderline.
Millie is still unapologetically flawed, yet her very imperfection and realism makes us want her to succeed. Many of the expected character elements in the supporting cast are turned upside down, making them undeniably more interesting than a neat selection of archetypes. Add to this a story that goes in unique directions, and you get an immensely satisfying and entertaining read.
I already want the next book!
Phantom Pains is a very worthy sequel, and continues to deliver the fresh take on UF that Baker introduced in Borderline.
Millie is still unapologetically flawed, yet her very imperfection and realism makes us want her to succeed. Many of the expected character elements in the supporting cast are turned upside down, making them undeniably more interesting than a neat selection of archetypes. Add to this a story that goes in unique directions, and you get an immensely satisfying and entertaining read.
I already want the next book!
March 25, 2017
This series continues to be amazing. In the first, Millie, her maladies and the various methods she has to manage them were the star. In this one, all that is a given and continues to be awesome, but much more attention gets paid to the supporting cast and the world-building.
Millie has been making her way with a PA job to the owner of a film studio and invaluable because of her knowledge of the Arcadia Project and its concerns. Now four months after she had been kicked out of the Project it all comes rushing back as Millie and her former boss Caryl encounter something that shouldn't exist. And pretty soon it becomes clear that the trouble they thought they'd dealt with previously is very much still in motion.
Pretty soon the residents of Arcadia are back in the picture and a detailed plot involving the plans and allies of Vivian, the fey royalty and Arcadian monsters comes into play.
One thing I really, really loved about it was regarding the climax:
Millie has been making her way with a PA job to the owner of a film studio and invaluable because of her knowledge of the Arcadia Project and its concerns. Now four months after she had been kicked out of the Project it all comes rushing back as Millie and her former boss Caryl encounter something that shouldn't exist. And pretty soon it becomes clear that the trouble they thought they'd dealt with previously is very much still in motion.
Pretty soon the residents of Arcadia are back in the picture and a detailed plot involving the plans and allies of Vivian, the fey royalty and Arcadian monsters comes into play.
One thing I really, really loved about it was regarding the climax:
March 24, 2017
Yet again, love! A really engaging plot and great character development - Milly is one of my favourite heroines in recent fiction. I already can't wait for the next one.
April 5, 2017
Second in The Arcadia Project psychological urban fantasy series set in L.A. around the fae and moviemaking. It's been four months since
Borderline
, 1.
My Take
I don't know if I'm more prepared for Millie, if Millie is more aware of how horrible her social reactions are, or if Baker lightened up, but Millie wasn't so bad. Weird, huh? A protagonist who is so obnoxious, and yet you can't help rooting for her. I wonder if it's because it's all Millie's perspective with that first-person protagonist point-of-view?
Theme-wise, it's all about emotions and beliefs. Millie's inability to check her emotional reactions — she is certainly out front about the dangers she represents to anyone who gets close to her. It's also Millie realizing how her belief in what her sleazy professor told her affected her outlook on life and her own abilities.
Commoner fae have bad memories and no ability to reason while their beliefs are made up of what they feel and are bone deep. Because Claybriar, one of those commoners, has an Echo, his ability to remember and reason shot up, and he's having issues with what the sidhe believe and what he grew up believing. Goes to show that what you learn in your childhood really sticks to you.
Yeah, I really enjoy Baker's The Arcadia Project. It's a unique take on the fae that Baker has created while incorporating the expectations most of us have about the fae — and I love the idea of Echoes. As for Baker's core characters. Oh, boy. They're a job lot of nutjobs — a requirement for the job, lol. I'm curious to see where Baker takes 'em all, especially after that revelation about Tjuan and Alvin's abrupt turn of heart.
Then there's the forgotten "belief" about how magic works and the slavery it perpetuates.
The Story
It's a rock and a hard place for Millie at Valiant Studios. Parisa is furious and threatening to pull the show, if Soundstage 13 isn't back up and running. But Stage 13 must be cleansed and "repaired" if humans are to be allowed back on it.
And that's a problem as Millie is no longer part of the Arcadia Project, and her believability is already low and goes lower when she insists that she saw Teo's ghost on the soundstage. According to Caryl, ghosts don't exist.
Then Caryl is accused of murder. A murder for which Millie knows Caryl is innocent. It's prove the existence of those "ghosts" or Caryl will suffer the Project's severe, off-the-books justice. Oh, and save the world from a terrorist plot…and the machinations of an evil "queen".
The Characters
"Lady" Millicent Roper, a.k.a., Ironbones, has a borderline personality disorder with a passion for filmmaking. She's half metal with leg prosthetics (after walking off a building) and that metal kills magic. She now works at Valiant Studios. Claybriar, a faun, is Millie's Echo.
Valiant Studios is…
…Inaya West's baby, a film studio she started up at the end of Borderline . She's also a famous movie star who found her Echo, Baroness Foxfeather of the Seelie Court who is trapped in fairyland. The thoroughly obnoxious Parisa Naderi is a friend and the showrunner for Maneaters, a hugely popular show. Javier is Parisa's assistant. Stage 13 is where all the action took place in Borderline . Araceli is Millie's fellow assistant.
Mason is a misogynistic talent agent from Australia. Wendigo Digital does special effects. Rahul is their main go-to guy and a jerk.
The Arcadia Project is…
…the go-between for humans and the fae. Its only eligible employees are people with psychiatric problems who must live in a Project residence. The main headquarters is in London under the "superior" Dame Belinda Barker.
The U.S. National Headquarters are…
…in New Orleans under Alvin Lamb. Tamika Durand is one of their senior agents. Adam Park is their liaison at Homeland Security.
Residence Four is…
…one of four homes where the L.A.-based Arcadia employees live. The nineteen-year-old "Marchioness" Caryl Vallo, a warlock, had been the project manager and Millie's boss. Elliot is her familiar, a construct who takes on her emotions so they don't overload her. Martin, a wizard, had been Caryl's predecessor. Incidents in Borderline have triggered Tjuan's schizophrenia; he's also well known as T.J., a screenwriter. Teo had been Millie's partner who died in Borderline . Phil (he guards the LA4 portal that is in the attic) and the autistic Stevie are the other employees/residents. Song is the resident house manager. Sterling is her baby son. Monty is the resident tortoiseshell cat.
Dr. Davis is the psychiatrist Millie sees. Zach is Millie's neighbor and fuck buddy. An Echo is a muse with a predestined partner. David Berenbaum, the director, has retired to an emu ranch. Steven Spielberg is a practitioner.
The Fae
King Winterglass, a.k.a., Feng Morozov (in Russia he was known as Snezhan Leonidovich Raskonikov when Fedya Dostoyevsky had been the king's Echo), rules the Unseelie. His heir is seventeen-year-old Prince Fettershock, a.k.a., Shock, currently studying in Hong Kong and a master façade crafter.
Queen Dawnrowan rules the Seelie; Sir Claybriar is her champion as well as an amazing artist. Blesskin is a commoner fae who plays the Bone Harp.
Duke Skyhallow's territory (in faerieland) is the L.A. area. The manticore, Throebrand, who has roamed his territory for thousands of years, has suddenly gone nuts. His construct is a really big dog named Brand.
Baroness Foxfeather's estate is destroyed and her people — which include Dreamapple and Bellgreen, are either dead or scattered.
Cera Pest Control is…
…an L.A.-based exterminator company started up by Edna Cera who was succeeded by Vivian Chandler, the Unseelie Countess Feverwax, who had been the primary antagonist in Borderline . Adal Garcia is in charge since Vivian's death. Pooja is the receptionist. Chin Ju is the IT girl. Slakeshadow had been Vivian's daughter until her execution.
Qualm is one of the wraiths, spirits constructed of arcane energy, think ghost.
The Bone Harp was made from something's spine by the Beast Queen, a.k.a., Shiverlash, a powerful siren, and it draws arcane energy to it. The First Accord was a treaty between the Seelie and Unseelie rewriting their customs and the rules of succession. The Second Accord amended the First to establish peace between the Seelie/Unseelie Courts and earth. The difference between a witch and a warlock is that the former is Seelie magic while the latter is Unseelie. A ward is anchored to a place while spellwork is anchored on a person. A construct is a façade a fae wears when they're on earth, so they don't scare the humans. The Philadelphia Protocol separates the U.S. Arcadia Project from others.
The Cover and Title
The cover is purples with a profile of Millie (she reminds me of the actress, Jacqueline Toboni, from the TV series, Grimm) in her black leather jacket, a gentle wave of a spit curl flat against her cheek. For the rest, it's a deep purple background with multiple, varisized lilac bubbles floating through the air. The author's name, title, and series information is all together at the bottom in white.
I have to guess that the title is really subtle and refers to the discovery that Phantom Pains may be suffered by spirits?? Or that the wraiths are the pains…?
My Take
I don't know if I'm more prepared for Millie, if Millie is more aware of how horrible her social reactions are, or if Baker lightened up, but Millie wasn't so bad. Weird, huh? A protagonist who is so obnoxious, and yet you can't help rooting for her. I wonder if it's because it's all Millie's perspective with that first-person protagonist point-of-view?
Theme-wise, it's all about emotions and beliefs. Millie's inability to check her emotional reactions — she is certainly out front about the dangers she represents to anyone who gets close to her. It's also Millie realizing how her belief in what her sleazy professor told her affected her outlook on life and her own abilities.
Commoner fae have bad memories and no ability to reason while their beliefs are made up of what they feel and are bone deep. Because Claybriar, one of those commoners, has an Echo, his ability to remember and reason shot up, and he's having issues with what the sidhe believe and what he grew up believing. Goes to show that what you learn in your childhood really sticks to you.
Yeah, I really enjoy Baker's The Arcadia Project. It's a unique take on the fae that Baker has created while incorporating the expectations most of us have about the fae — and I love the idea of Echoes. As for Baker's core characters. Oh, boy. They're a job lot of nutjobs — a requirement for the job, lol. I'm curious to see where Baker takes 'em all, especially after that revelation about Tjuan and Alvin's abrupt turn of heart.
Then there's the forgotten "belief" about how magic works and the slavery it perpetuates.
The Story
It's a rock and a hard place for Millie at Valiant Studios. Parisa is furious and threatening to pull the show, if Soundstage 13 isn't back up and running. But Stage 13 must be cleansed and "repaired" if humans are to be allowed back on it.
And that's a problem as Millie is no longer part of the Arcadia Project, and her believability is already low and goes lower when she insists that she saw Teo's ghost on the soundstage. According to Caryl, ghosts don't exist.
Then Caryl is accused of murder. A murder for which Millie knows Caryl is innocent. It's prove the existence of those "ghosts" or Caryl will suffer the Project's severe, off-the-books justice. Oh, and save the world from a terrorist plot…and the machinations of an evil "queen".
The Characters
"Lady" Millicent Roper, a.k.a., Ironbones, has a borderline personality disorder with a passion for filmmaking. She's half metal with leg prosthetics (after walking off a building) and that metal kills magic. She now works at Valiant Studios. Claybriar, a faun, is Millie's Echo.
Valiant Studios is…
…Inaya West's baby, a film studio she started up at the end of Borderline . She's also a famous movie star who found her Echo, Baroness Foxfeather of the Seelie Court who is trapped in fairyland. The thoroughly obnoxious Parisa Naderi is a friend and the showrunner for Maneaters, a hugely popular show. Javier is Parisa's assistant. Stage 13 is where all the action took place in Borderline . Araceli is Millie's fellow assistant.
Mason is a misogynistic talent agent from Australia. Wendigo Digital does special effects. Rahul is their main go-to guy and a jerk.
The Arcadia Project is…
…the go-between for humans and the fae. Its only eligible employees are people with psychiatric problems who must live in a Project residence. The main headquarters is in London under the "superior" Dame Belinda Barker.
The U.S. National Headquarters are…
…in New Orleans under Alvin Lamb. Tamika Durand is one of their senior agents. Adam Park is their liaison at Homeland Security.
Residence Four is…
…one of four homes where the L.A.-based Arcadia employees live. The nineteen-year-old "Marchioness" Caryl Vallo, a warlock, had been the project manager and Millie's boss. Elliot is her familiar, a construct who takes on her emotions so they don't overload her. Martin, a wizard, had been Caryl's predecessor. Incidents in Borderline have triggered Tjuan's schizophrenia; he's also well known as T.J., a screenwriter. Teo had been Millie's partner who died in Borderline . Phil (he guards the LA4 portal that is in the attic) and the autistic Stevie are the other employees/residents. Song is the resident house manager. Sterling is her baby son. Monty is the resident tortoiseshell cat.
Dr. Davis is the psychiatrist Millie sees. Zach is Millie's neighbor and fuck buddy. An Echo is a muse with a predestined partner. David Berenbaum, the director, has retired to an emu ranch. Steven Spielberg is a practitioner.
The Fae
King Winterglass, a.k.a., Feng Morozov (in Russia he was known as Snezhan Leonidovich Raskonikov when Fedya Dostoyevsky had been the king's Echo), rules the Unseelie. His heir is seventeen-year-old Prince Fettershock, a.k.a., Shock, currently studying in Hong Kong and a master façade crafter.
Queen Dawnrowan rules the Seelie; Sir Claybriar is her champion as well as an amazing artist. Blesskin is a commoner fae who plays the Bone Harp.
Duke Skyhallow's territory (in faerieland) is the L.A. area. The manticore, Throebrand, who has roamed his territory for thousands of years, has suddenly gone nuts. His construct is a really big dog named Brand.
Baroness Foxfeather's estate is destroyed and her people — which include Dreamapple and Bellgreen, are either dead or scattered.
Cera Pest Control is…
…an L.A.-based exterminator company started up by Edna Cera who was succeeded by Vivian Chandler, the Unseelie Countess Feverwax, who had been the primary antagonist in Borderline . Adal Garcia is in charge since Vivian's death. Pooja is the receptionist. Chin Ju is the IT girl. Slakeshadow had been Vivian's daughter until her execution.
Qualm is one of the wraiths, spirits constructed of arcane energy, think ghost.
The Bone Harp was made from something's spine by the Beast Queen, a.k.a., Shiverlash, a powerful siren, and it draws arcane energy to it. The First Accord was a treaty between the Seelie and Unseelie rewriting their customs and the rules of succession. The Second Accord amended the First to establish peace between the Seelie/Unseelie Courts and earth. The difference between a witch and a warlock is that the former is Seelie magic while the latter is Unseelie. A ward is anchored to a place while spellwork is anchored on a person. A construct is a façade a fae wears when they're on earth, so they don't scare the humans. The Philadelphia Protocol separates the U.S. Arcadia Project from others.
The Cover and Title
The cover is purples with a profile of Millie (she reminds me of the actress, Jacqueline Toboni, from the TV series, Grimm) in her black leather jacket, a gentle wave of a spit curl flat against her cheek. For the rest, it's a deep purple background with multiple, varisized lilac bubbles floating through the air. The author's name, title, and series information is all together at the bottom in white.
I have to guess that the title is really subtle and refers to the discovery that Phantom Pains may be suffered by spirits?? Or that the wraiths are the pains…?
Read
November 20, 2017A sequel to the marvellous Borderline, an urban fantasy with fae, bureaucracy, and a disabled bi heroine with Borderline Personality Disorder. Millie is an absolutely fantastic character, original, vivid and very human. It seems like her BPD is more under control and less destructive here than in the first book: I don't know if this is a deliberate authorial decision to not make the series so much about her condition, or if Millie is simply in a better place at least when this book starts--or possibly it's because she's found her Echo in the fae world? Anyway, it did jar me slightly since I read this very shortly after the first one.
A cracking plot, with lots of elements and complexity and I think better resolved than in #1. Enormously readable, I binged it in two sittings. And I really like where the overall plot has gone, Baker isn't afraid to make hard decisions and upend things. I hope there will be a lot more in this world.
A cracking plot, with lots of elements and complexity and I think better resolved than in #1. Enormously readable, I binged it in two sittings. And I really like where the overall plot has gone, Baker isn't afraid to make hard decisions and upend things. I hope there will be a lot more in this world.
January 9, 2017
On my tablet so going to write at least a bare bones review in the morning but YES IT'S BETTER THAN THE FIRST ONE. SOMEHOW.
April 23, 2017
Review From Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2017/0...
Phantom Pains continue’s Baker’s wonderfully fresh style of keeping Urban Fantasy a bit more “real” and grounded without compromising on the fantastical.
Millie’s life might be full of the extra ordinary, she might be a person that a reader can admire, may be able to deal with fae and break their magic with a touch, but there’s no denying her life is trying. I don’t envy her harsh reality of being a double amputee, but at the same time, her story and challenges are just part of her life, they don’t prevent her from being able to liver her life and do what needs doing.
The author does not gloss over her disability, nor does she dwell on it, but rather incorporates all of the extra challenges Millie faces as just a part of how she lives and copes. And while Millie is not always upbeat, she does an amazing job handling both her disability from losing both legs as well as her borderline personality. I find it interesting how the author can explain some of the Borderline personality traits and behaviors that Millie struggles with in a way that helps us understand her, gives us better insight when she might be a be bit self destructive. And it never feels like the author is info dumping this information. It is skillfully entwined with the narrative and really fleshes out Millie’s character, helping the reader understand and appreciate her motivations and actions.
And while this is a part of the book, it’s not what the book is about, so let’s move on to the story. Since the last book ended, Millie has been forging her life outside of the Arcadia Project, separating herself from the pain and loss that she suffered during the last book. She’s doing well, working, living on her own, just trying to create a normal life for herself. And a normal life really shouldn’t involve the fae. But even with her non-Arcadia job and life, Millie finds herself in the middle of fae drama. At the stage where the final showdown happened in the last book, Millie sees something extraordinary and unexplainable, even in the world of the fae, and that catapults her back in to the world of the Arcadia.
And to keep things even more interesting, a gruesome murder there is quickly a murder added to the mix, one they are trying to pin on her former boss, Millie becomes just as entrenched with Arcadia as she was before.
Millie’s relationships with other characters continues to be intriguing, and we get to delve a bit deeper with this book with multiple characters. Millie’s relationship with Clay continues to be an interesting struggle. These two seem to be soul mates that are drawn so strongly to each other, but yet can have no physical contact because how all the steel in her body impacts him when he touches her. It’s a fascinating situation and a serious example of forbidden love!
Baker also broadens the world of Arcadia considerably. We get to learn more juicy details about Arcadia, its royalty as well as well as gain a better understanding of Seelie versus Unseelie magic.
Honestly, this book seems to have a bit of everything. Power struggles between the worlds, fae magic, love interests and a murder mystery. Not to mention an amazing protagonist that may not have the simplest of roads in life, but still manages to persist. Definitely recommend this series.
Phantom Pains continue’s Baker’s wonderfully fresh style of keeping Urban Fantasy a bit more “real” and grounded without compromising on the fantastical.
Millie’s life might be full of the extra ordinary, she might be a person that a reader can admire, may be able to deal with fae and break their magic with a touch, but there’s no denying her life is trying. I don’t envy her harsh reality of being a double amputee, but at the same time, her story and challenges are just part of her life, they don’t prevent her from being able to liver her life and do what needs doing.
The author does not gloss over her disability, nor does she dwell on it, but rather incorporates all of the extra challenges Millie faces as just a part of how she lives and copes. And while Millie is not always upbeat, she does an amazing job handling both her disability from losing both legs as well as her borderline personality. I find it interesting how the author can explain some of the Borderline personality traits and behaviors that Millie struggles with in a way that helps us understand her, gives us better insight when she might be a be bit self destructive. And it never feels like the author is info dumping this information. It is skillfully entwined with the narrative and really fleshes out Millie’s character, helping the reader understand and appreciate her motivations and actions.
And while this is a part of the book, it’s not what the book is about, so let’s move on to the story. Since the last book ended, Millie has been forging her life outside of the Arcadia Project, separating herself from the pain and loss that she suffered during the last book. She’s doing well, working, living on her own, just trying to create a normal life for herself. And a normal life really shouldn’t involve the fae. But even with her non-Arcadia job and life, Millie finds herself in the middle of fae drama. At the stage where the final showdown happened in the last book, Millie sees something extraordinary and unexplainable, even in the world of the fae, and that catapults her back in to the world of the Arcadia.
And to keep things even more interesting, a gruesome murder there is quickly a murder added to the mix, one they are trying to pin on her former boss, Millie becomes just as entrenched with Arcadia as she was before.
Millie’s relationships with other characters continues to be intriguing, and we get to delve a bit deeper with this book with multiple characters. Millie’s relationship with Clay continues to be an interesting struggle. These two seem to be soul mates that are drawn so strongly to each other, but yet can have no physical contact because how all the steel in her body impacts him when he touches her. It’s a fascinating situation and a serious example of forbidden love!
Baker also broadens the world of Arcadia considerably. We get to learn more juicy details about Arcadia, its royalty as well as well as gain a better understanding of Seelie versus Unseelie magic.
Honestly, this book seems to have a bit of everything. Power struggles between the worlds, fae magic, love interests and a murder mystery. Not to mention an amazing protagonist that may not have the simplest of roads in life, but still manages to persist. Definitely recommend this series.
March 20, 2018
4.5 stars
Even better than the first!
Even better than the first!
March 7, 2019
Yep, urban fantasy as a genre is still alive and kicking. Enjoying the fairies and especially this whole fairy soulmate thing. The author even managed to rope Fyodor Dostoyevsky into this deal. I am impressed.
November 28, 2022
At first I thought this book wasn't as good as Book 1, Borderline which completely blew me away. But thinking about it, I think that idea came from it being a little different. The characters have grown and changed. There is a lot of ambiguity in this book, in the world Mishell Baker is creating, and honestly, that ambiguity is what I love most about it.
April 13, 2017
I read this entire two book series back to back – literally starting the second book seconds after ending the first, so my review might possibly combine the two books by accident. But I’ll try to keep things separate.
This book, the second one in the series, opens four months after the end of the first book. Millie now works as an assistant for a famous actress, though that actress is now retired and runs a brand new movie studio (Valiant Studios, or some name like that). Millie isn’t exactly the best at certain things, but she does have some positive traits that correspond to her job. Though even there she has off and on days based on her ‘issues’ (Borderline Personality Disorder).
Part of her task at the studio involves attempting to do ‘something’ about ‘Studio 13’ (last seen in the prior book). The writer/show runner of the brand-new and currently popular television series really wants that studio because her current one is super small. Problem though – there’s a ‘gate’ sitting in the middle of the studio. Caryl stops by to inspect the studio, but before much inspecting could occur, something that appears to be a ghost pops up.
Naturally this and for other reasons, Millie is pulled back into helping the Arcadia Project deal with ‘stuff’. Like, say, murders, kings, queens, soul mates, and talking cats.
Well written brilliant book. I want more. (there’s a good chance I’d would have written more but it is hard to do when a lot of what I’d have said I already slid into the prior books review)
Rating: 5.5
April 13 2017
This book, the second one in the series, opens four months after the end of the first book. Millie now works as an assistant for a famous actress, though that actress is now retired and runs a brand new movie studio (Valiant Studios, or some name like that). Millie isn’t exactly the best at certain things, but she does have some positive traits that correspond to her job. Though even there she has off and on days based on her ‘issues’ (Borderline Personality Disorder).
Part of her task at the studio involves attempting to do ‘something’ about ‘Studio 13’ (last seen in the prior book). The writer/show runner of the brand-new and currently popular television series really wants that studio because her current one is super small. Problem though – there’s a ‘gate’ sitting in the middle of the studio. Caryl stops by to inspect the studio, but before much inspecting could occur, something that appears to be a ghost pops up.
Naturally this and for other reasons, Millie is pulled back into helping the Arcadia Project deal with ‘stuff’. Like, say, murders, kings, queens, soul mates, and talking cats.
Well written brilliant book. I want more. (there’s a good chance I’d would have written more but it is hard to do when a lot of what I’d have said I already slid into the prior books review)
Rating: 5.5
April 13 2017
April 24, 2018
I read and enjoyed Mishell Baker's first book, Borderline. I started this one and just bounced off it hard. It's been about 6 months since I read Borderline, but I had a hard time remembering exactly what had happened, and I felt like I was either missing something or that I was dropped into a situation without explanation. Millie, our main character, is in a new job and is working with new people, and I felt like I was expected to know who they were and what their significance was, and I just didn't.
And Millie was extremely stressed and trying not to become symptomatic because of that stress, and I just couldn't invest in whatever the stakes were. It's Hollywood infighting, not world diplomacy. Just the first chapter made me both stressed and apathetic (if that's possible) and I put the book down.
Is it the bandwidth I've got available, is it the book, or both? Not sure, but it could very well be me right now.
And Millie was extremely stressed and trying not to become symptomatic because of that stress, and I just couldn't invest in whatever the stakes were. It's Hollywood infighting, not world diplomacy. Just the first chapter made me both stressed and apathetic (if that's possible) and I put the book down.
Is it the bandwidth I've got available, is it the book, or both? Not sure, but it could very well be me right now.
June 24, 2017
What a great story - so many twists and turns, very unpredictable! I love this series. Give me more.
June 27, 2017
*4.5 stars
After giving Borderline 5 stars, I went into this book with HIGH expectations. And….I was not disappointed!
I will say that I didn’t this book quite as much as Borderline….but it was really close. It didn’t pack as an emotional punch for me like the first book in the series. While Millie still had her internal struggles, she wasn’t as dark or as emotionally disturbed in Phantom Pains. She’s currently going to therapy and working on how to cope with her disorder, which is good for her…. but didn’t make for as much angst and struggle to control her anger and emotions as I would have liked!
That being said, I thought the relationship building between the characters, especially between Millie and Caryle's was fantastic! And all the backstory we get with Caryle….and the new Fae characters….and that incredible ending!!! It was a really, really great read.
I have no doubt from the way this story ended, and what I’m pretty sure is going to be the main plot of book three, that I’m going to adore the next book in this series even more. Big props for such a smartly written, diversely cast and cleverly plotted urban fantasy series. We need more of these!
After giving Borderline 5 stars, I went into this book with HIGH expectations. And….I was not disappointed!
I will say that I didn’t this book quite as much as Borderline….but it was really close. It didn’t pack as an emotional punch for me like the first book in the series. While Millie still had her internal struggles, she wasn’t as dark or as emotionally disturbed in Phantom Pains. She’s currently going to therapy and working on how to cope with her disorder, which is good for her…. but didn’t make for as much angst and struggle to control her anger and emotions as I would have liked!
That being said, I thought the relationship building between the characters, especially between Millie and Caryle's was fantastic! And all the backstory we get with Caryle….and the new Fae characters….and that incredible ending!!! It was a really, really great read.
I have no doubt from the way this story ended, and what I’m pretty sure is going to be the main plot of book three, that I’m going to adore the next book in this series even more. Big props for such a smartly written, diversely cast and cleverly plotted urban fantasy series. We need more of these!
June 18, 2017
Mishell Baker is highly readable. Yes, that is a small, simple sentence but it really encompasses what she does best. Her writing flows evenly, ends chapters wanting you to read more, and creates vulnerable dialogue that just sucks you into the scene. Where Borderline introduced us to a mentally and physically handicapped heroine that struggles, Phantom Pains introduces us to a Millie that is highly functioning, coping with her limitations. So many times in this story, we are shown Millie using techniques she has learned in therapy to overcome debilitating thoughts. In this way, we are shown a lot of character growth in Millie, and how the Arcadia Project and her Echo has really influenced her for the better.
Phantom Pains could have made the world-building elements a little more clear. There were times when it seemed everyone had their own truths and ideas of how things have come to be. There is still much about Arcadia that we really don't know and if we can really believe what we were told in this book. Much of this series is probably hinged upon what happens in the third book. I personally would love to see more scenes take place in Arcadia.
Great characters, a fun but slightly murky plot, and great pacing makes this series by Mishell Baker the must-read urban fantasy series for readers that don't usually read urban fantasy. I thought Borderline was slightly stronger but I think that is because of the new and refreshing protagonist in Millie. Great books that will definitely be easy rereads for many fans.
3/5
15/25 Possible Score
2 - Plot
4 - Characters
2 - World Building
4 - Writing Style
3 - Heart & Mind Aspect
Phantom Pains could have made the world-building elements a little more clear. There were times when it seemed everyone had their own truths and ideas of how things have come to be. There is still much about Arcadia that we really don't know and if we can really believe what we were told in this book. Much of this series is probably hinged upon what happens in the third book. I personally would love to see more scenes take place in Arcadia.
Great characters, a fun but slightly murky plot, and great pacing makes this series by Mishell Baker the must-read urban fantasy series for readers that don't usually read urban fantasy. I thought Borderline was slightly stronger but I think that is because of the new and refreshing protagonist in Millie. Great books that will definitely be easy rereads for many fans.
3/5
15/25 Possible Score
2 - Plot
4 - Characters
2 - World Building
4 - Writing Style
3 - Heart & Mind Aspect
March 20, 2017
Good news for US readers! The publisher is kindly offering up a copy of Phantom Pains, so don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of my post!
In the second book to the “exciting, inventive, and brilliantly plotted” (Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author) Borderline, Millie unwillingly returns to the Arcadia Project when an impossible and deadly situation pulls her back in.
Four months ago, Millie left the Arcadia Project after losing her partner Teo to the lethal magic of an Unseelie fey countess. Now, in a final visit to the scene of the crime, Millie and her former boss Caryl encounter Teo’s tormented ghost. But there’s one problem: according to Caryl, ghosts don’t exist.
Millie has a new life, a stressful job, and no time to get pulled back into the Project, but she agrees to tell her side of the ghost story to the agents from the Project’s National Headquarters. During her visit though, tragedy strikes when one of the agents is gruesomely murdered in a way only Caryl could have achieved. Millie knows Caryl is innocent, but the only way to save her from the Project’s severe, off-the-books justice is to find the mysterious culprits that can only be seen when they want to be seen. Millie must solve the mystery not only to save Caryl, but also to foil an insidious, arcane terrorist plot that would leave two worlds in ruins.
The nitty-gritty: Another stellar entry in The Arcadia Project series, with plenty of magic, action, danger and some seriously wonderful characterizations.
Once again, Mishell Baker has knocked it out of the park, with her follow-up to Borderline . Book two in The Arcadia Project series picks up a few months after the last book, and Baker wastes no time recapping the events at the end of Borderline but jumps right into the story. For this reason, you absolutely must read Borderline first, if you haven’t already. There will be minor spoilers (unavoidable) for that book if you haven’t read it, so beware. I was so happy to discover that Phantom Pains is just as good, and that’s not something I get to say very often when it comes to second books in series. In addition to many returning characters and some new ones that I really fell in love with, there’s plenty to love about this book, including: a magical harp, a copy of Game of Thrones that has errant spirits trapped in every page, and a man-eating manticor named Brand who disguises himself as an Irish Setter.
When the story begins, Millie is working for Naderi on a TV show, a stressful job that she struggles with for several reasons—her borderline personality disorder for one interferes with her life on a day-to-day basis—but she’s holding her own, after quitting the Arcadia Project at the end of Borderline and moving into her own apartment. But she’s about to get pulled back in—big time. After a weird experience at Stage 13, where the final showdown with the Unseelie Countess Vivian took place, Millie finds herself back in Residence Four, the dilapidated mansion where she used to live. While she and Caryl are conferring with an agent from the Arcadia Project, one of the residents is murdered, and unfortunately, all signs point to Caryl being the murderer.
Millie knows her former boss is innocent, and so she sets out to prove it, aided by her Echo Claybriar, her former housemate Tjuan, King Winterglass, and many more characters, both human and fey. But things are much more complicated than Millie realizes, and the unrest between the Seelie and Unseelie courts is about to come to Los Angeles, unless Millie and her friends can find a way to stop it.
It’s really hard to describe this plot in just a couple of paragraphs, so that’s all you’re going to get from me. Suffice it to say, Phantom Pains is packed with twists and turns, dangers that crop up when least expected, and plenty of Baker’s intricate world-building to bind it all together. You don’t so much read about the world of the fey as immerse yourself in it. Baker has come up with a sturdy structure on which her world is built, with rules that must be followed or else. The beauty of this is that Millie, by design, is a rule breaker, which throws the plot into all sorts of chaos, leaving Millie and her pals to dig their way out of one mess after another. It’s great fun, and to top it all off, Millie is one of my favorite fictional characters, and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of her.
In case you don’t know, Millie is a double amputee, having lost both her legs after jumping off a building (trying to commit suicide, obviously). She wears prosthetics, but I love the way Baker makes the reader see that prosthetics may be a wonderful invention, but they aren’t perfect. Millie suffers constant pain and she still has a hard time walking. She tires easily and her stumps get sweaty, but it never seems to slow her down. She also suffers from BPD, borderline personality disorder, which makes it hard for her to form lasting relationships, among other disadvantages. But Millie takes it all in stride. We see her go to group counseling every week and work through her disorder, and it’s even more fascinating because she’s telling the story from her point of view. She’s one of the most self-aware characters I’ve ever seen in fiction, and best of all, she’s got a talent for inappropriately timed snark and humor, always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. It takes a certain type of humor to make me laugh out loud, and Millie had me laughing a lot while I was reading this book.
Not far behind her on my “character love” scale is Claybriar, her Echo who just happens to be a fawn, but when he’s on the human side of the gates, he disguises himself as a young, cute artist-type guy. I loved the chemistry between the two, even when they can barely touch each other (because Millie’s body is riddled with metal, due to her accident, her touch is painful to the fey). Millie is one horny girl, and Claybriar, being a fawn, gets plenty of action himself. Their complex relationship made for some very interesting scenes, and I’m looking forward to seeing where things go in the next book.
Despite Millie’s fondness for Claybriar, however, she’s also attracted to Caryl, another favorite character of mine. There's a long but riveting back-story about how Caryl was stolen by the fey as a child, and what’s happened to her in the time since she was returned. It was almost painful at times to witness the ups and downs of their relationship, such that it is. One thing is for sure, you will not get bored reading this book, there is so much going on!
And as I mentioned, the author has plenty of surprises up her sleeves. I was immediately taken with one of the new characters, only to witness him die a horrible death late in the book. And yet, I feel like there’s more to that than meets the eye. Dare I hope this character isn’t really dead, and will return for the next book??
It’s so easy to get caught up in Mishell Baker’s magical world, and I guarantee once you enter, you won’t want to leave. Waiting for the next book is going to be excruciating! If you love unique urban fantasy and characters who are deeply developed and seem all too human, you need to start this series as soon as you can.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
Find the book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Borderline , the first book in The Arcadia Project series, is now a 2016 Nebula Award finalist (best novel), and has been given a lovely new cover:
Read my review of Borderline here.
About the author:
MISHELL BAKER is a 2009 graduate of the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop, and her short stories have appeared in Daily Science Fiction, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Redstone Science Fiction, and Electric Velocipede. She has a website at MishellBaker.com and frequently tweets about writing, parenthood, mental health, and assorted geekery at @MishellBaker. When she’s not attending conventions or going on wild research adventures, she lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children. Her debut novel, Borderline is currently a Nebula award finalist. Its sequel, Phantom Pains, will be available on March 21.
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This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
August 23, 2020
Liked it a lot more then the first. Very twisty and fun.
April 11, 2017
Phantom Pains didn't quite match Borderline for sheer inventiveness, but that's to be expected in the second book even in a delightfully original new series. It's still a great read, and you can definitely see Mishell Baker growing as a writer. Plotting and pacing are excellent, and Millie is still wonderful.
Want to read
February 28, 2017I really shouldn't have read the blurb, not when the release is so *relatively* close.
September 29, 2018
Millie has been kicked out of the Arcadia Project and now works as an assistant to a successful TV show. It's a come-down for someone who had a shot at directing her own films and later, working with fairies, but it is a good life. Then weird happenings on a soundstage draw her back in to the fey world, and before you know it she's neck deep in sidhe kings and queens, wraiths, a talking manticore...
This book sounds so cool. But Millie spends the entire book just pinballing from one coincidence or bad decision to the next, and all the other characters spend their time either explaining things to her or having things explained to them. It's exceedingly tiring. By the end of the book I disliked or didn't care about any character and didn't care at all whether fairies had to come out of the closet or not.
This book sounds so cool. But Millie spends the entire book just pinballing from one coincidence or bad decision to the next, and all the other characters spend their time either explaining things to her or having things explained to them. It's exceedingly tiring. By the end of the book I disliked or didn't care about any character and didn't care at all whether fairies had to come out of the closet or not.
December 31, 2018
Set four months after the first book Borderline ended, Millie is still a mess (and probably always will be) but is really trying hard to get her life together. Since leaving the Arcadia Project, she has gotten her own apartment, and is now Inaya's Assistant at Valiant Studios.
The problem is that their star showrunner wants a larger studio and Studio 13 - where the events of the last book occurred, which is full of supernatural fallout - is the only one available. When Millie calls Caryl in to help her clear up the magical residue, something odd happens: she thinks she sees a ghost. Turns out, it's a new type of Fey spirit - a wraith, a twisted nature spirit given sentience through contact with old adversary Vivian Chandler.
The existence of wraiths was unknown to the Arcadia Project, and their presence sets into motion a whole sequence of events. They can talk to each other and possess people - which made them great spies. Now the wraiths are determined to finish Vivian's work of destroying the estates of powerful Fey nobles, and Millie gets caught up in the fight to save our world and Arcadia.
Unfortunately, Caryl has been framed for murder, leaving her under house arrest, and the arrogant British chapter of the project has come to manage LA in her absence, leaving Millie mostly on her own this time. It's clear that she's never going to a by-the-book agent and that works in her favour here. There are some intriguing new characters (the Manticore!) and Millie herself is a lot more interesting.
This is definitely a better book than the first and moves along at a rapid clip. I'd be interested in reading the final book in the trilogy, Impostor Syndrome.
The problem is that their star showrunner wants a larger studio and Studio 13 - where the events of the last book occurred, which is full of supernatural fallout - is the only one available. When Millie calls Caryl in to help her clear up the magical residue, something odd happens: she thinks she sees a ghost. Turns out, it's a new type of Fey spirit - a wraith, a twisted nature spirit given sentience through contact with old adversary Vivian Chandler.
The existence of wraiths was unknown to the Arcadia Project, and their presence sets into motion a whole sequence of events. They can talk to each other and possess people - which made them great spies. Now the wraiths are determined to finish Vivian's work of destroying the estates of powerful Fey nobles, and Millie gets caught up in the fight to save our world and Arcadia.
Unfortunately, Caryl has been framed for murder, leaving her under house arrest, and the arrogant British chapter of the project has come to manage LA in her absence, leaving Millie mostly on her own this time. It's clear that she's never going to a by-the-book agent and that works in her favour here. There are some intriguing new characters (the Manticore!) and Millie herself is a lot more interesting.
This is definitely a better book than the first and moves along at a rapid clip. I'd be interested in reading the final book in the trilogy, Impostor Syndrome.
April 13, 2017
Woo, book 2 of the Arcadia Project! Mishell Baker exploded into the UF scene last year with Borderline, a unique book featuring an anputee protagonist with a serious mental health issue. It offered a novel and interesting take on the secret world of the fae and how it interacts with humanity and was just plain fun to read! Phantom Pains delivers much of the same, fantastic, fleshed-out characters, a breakneck plot, and a world that continues to grow ever more fascinating as readers learn more about it.
In Phantom Pains, Millie and the officials from the Arcadia Project are trying to clean up the messes left behind by Vivian when a devastating murder disrupts their attempts. Caryl is blamed and everything is even more chaotic than it was before... The real culprits seem not to actually exist, Vivian's plans are not as dead as expected, and the King of the Unseelie gets involved!
Baker doesn't shy away from changing things up dramatically. The status quo of this universe will never be the same after the events of Phantom Pains, and it is refreshing to see the stakes so high this early in a series. Millie continues to be a wonderful protagonist to follow. She struggles with her health in a way that needs natural and true to real life (rather than after school special). She continues to grow and develop in an organic manner. All in all, this is a great follow-up to one of the best UF series I've seen come out in a few years!
In Phantom Pains, Millie and the officials from the Arcadia Project are trying to clean up the messes left behind by Vivian when a devastating murder disrupts their attempts. Caryl is blamed and everything is even more chaotic than it was before... The real culprits seem not to actually exist, Vivian's plans are not as dead as expected, and the King of the Unseelie gets involved!
Baker doesn't shy away from changing things up dramatically. The status quo of this universe will never be the same after the events of Phantom Pains, and it is refreshing to see the stakes so high this early in a series. Millie continues to be a wonderful protagonist to follow. She struggles with her health in a way that needs natural and true to real life (rather than after school special). She continues to grow and develop in an organic manner. All in all, this is a great follow-up to one of the best UF series I've seen come out in a few years!
April 18, 2017
I really enjoyed the first book of this series and honestly, this one is stronger, BUT I gave it slightly lower rating...why you ask? (no, you didn't ask..but I'm writing this )
I'll tell you later, The Arcadia Project is a fresh, inventive and deeply human. As a person who has suffered from depression (no spoilers) I really identify with the premise and throughly enjoy that the characters are flawed and not perfect.
That being said, I think the main character and the illness she deals with and it an important part of her being, in this book...it got to me. It hit a bit close to home, so I dock it a star for making me think about the past, STILL..a great read go get book one and this and get with it
I'll tell you later, The Arcadia Project is a fresh, inventive and deeply human. As a person who has suffered from depression (no spoilers) I really identify with the premise and throughly enjoy that the characters are flawed and not perfect.
That being said, I think the main character and the illness she deals with and it an important part of her being, in this book...it got to me. It hit a bit close to home, so I dock it a star for making me think about the past, STILL..a great read go get book one and this and get with it
March 24, 2017
I LOVE THESE BOOKS SO MUCH OH MY GOD.
Or, in slightly more intellectual terms, Baker picks up in Phantom Pains right where she left off in Borderline, in terms of both story and audacity. I love her world-building, and the fact that she not only asks questions of her own world that lesser authors wouldn't, but also answers those questions flawlessly, in wildly original ways. What makes the books so special, though, is that Baker's spectacular alternate reality exists alongside one of the most ably drawn, sensitive portraits of someone living with mental illness and physical disability that I've ever read. In the first novel, Millie is still struggling with managing her body, and her mental challenges are often linked very closely to her physical state. In the second, her challenges are different, accurately reflecting the journey of someone who is learning to live in a new reality, and how to cope with the way her mind responds to challenges. I love the growth Millie is allowed to show, and how nuanced and prickly her characterization remains -- she's still incredibly difficult to deal with, and Baker isn't afraid to embrace that aspect of Millie, allowing her spectacular fuck-ups when her choices and behavior merit them.
TL; DR: AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING. EVEN BETTER THAN THE FIRST ONE AND THAT WAS OUTRAGEOUSLY GOOD.
Or, in slightly more intellectual terms, Baker picks up in Phantom Pains right where she left off in Borderline, in terms of both story and audacity. I love her world-building, and the fact that she not only asks questions of her own world that lesser authors wouldn't, but also answers those questions flawlessly, in wildly original ways. What makes the books so special, though, is that Baker's spectacular alternate reality exists alongside one of the most ably drawn, sensitive portraits of someone living with mental illness and physical disability that I've ever read. In the first novel, Millie is still struggling with managing her body, and her mental challenges are often linked very closely to her physical state. In the second, her challenges are different, accurately reflecting the journey of someone who is learning to live in a new reality, and how to cope with the way her mind responds to challenges. I love the growth Millie is allowed to show, and how nuanced and prickly her characterization remains -- she's still incredibly difficult to deal with, and Baker isn't afraid to embrace that aspect of Millie, allowing her spectacular fuck-ups when her choices and behavior merit them.
TL; DR: AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING. EVEN BETTER THAN THE FIRST ONE AND THAT WAS OUTRAGEOUSLY GOOD.
March 24, 2017
it's not often that a book really - REALLY - leaves me out of both breath and words. or that one makes me hunch over in the dark, holding my cell above my head for light because the sunlight's gone and i have no lamps and only ten percent left to read and i don't want to stop reading.
the last time a book did anything like that to me was.... this book's precursor!
actual (?) review time.
worldbuilding. so much worldbuilding. in borderline, we're told about the fey royalty and london main office and all that - in phantom pains, we actually get to see the power structures at work. we learn more about fey culture. everything was detailed, and came into play later.
additionally - we learn much, much more about the rest of the cast. if you liked caryl (and you read the first one, so i'm sure you gotta), get excited, because you're about to find aaaaall about her.
the big reveal in the book was what really sold it to me, though. i won't spoil anything, but if there was ever a 'right' way to write magic... this would be it.
the last time a book did anything like that to me was.... this book's precursor!
actual (?) review time.
worldbuilding. so much worldbuilding. in borderline, we're told about the fey royalty and london main office and all that - in phantom pains, we actually get to see the power structures at work. we learn more about fey culture. everything was detailed, and came into play later.
additionally - we learn much, much more about the rest of the cast. if you liked caryl (and you read the first one, so i'm sure you gotta), get excited, because you're about to find aaaaall about her.
the big reveal in the book was what really sold it to me, though. i won't spoil anything, but if there was ever a 'right' way to write magic... this would be it.
May 31, 2017
Phantom Pains is the sequel to Mishell Baker’s phenomenal debut, Borderline, which dealt with issues of disability and mental health as well as being a really fun urban fantasy novel. While it would be possible to read Phantom Pains on its own, I recommend reading the books in order. Spoilers for Borderline will be included in the rest of this review.
Fourth months ago, Millie left the Arcadia Project to work for Inaya West and her new studio. She’s finally gotten around to trying to clean up magical residue from Stage 13 with her old boss Caryl, when she sees the ghost of Teo. Except, ghosts don’t exist and that shouldn’t be possible. To make matters worse, a Project agent is murdered and Caryl is accused. If she wants to save Caryl, Millie will have to take it upon herself to investigate.
As with Borderline, Millie is the best part of the book. In the four months since Borderline, she’s grown a lot. She’s been going to therapy for all of that time, and it’s reflected in her narration. She doesn’t always have control of herself, but she’s more in control and more self aware than in the prior book. I love Millie’s character, and this character growth only makes me love her more. I can’t wait to see how she develops in subsequent books.
So when I was reading the first book, I was pretty certain Millie was queer but I didn’t talk about it in my review, since I thought it was mainly subtext. There’s no way that Phantom Pains can be deemed subtext. Millie is definitely, 100% Not Straight. Borderline hinted that Caryl may have a crush on Millie. As it turns out, she does, and Millie’s attracted to her. But Millie also knows herself well enough to know that a relationship with Caryl would be a terrible idea — Caryl has her own mental health issues, and neither her or Millie is in a place where a relationship could end in anything but disaster.
Phantom Pains also builds on the world in some interesting ways. We’d already heard of the fae courts, but they have a much larger presence here. In general, we see more of fae society and believes, although the focus is still on the Arcadia Project. Even there, more is revealed, with higher ups from the Project visiting LA. Towards the end of the book, there’s some huge revelations that will impact the books to come. I always want sequels to expand the world in some way, and Phantom Pains succeeds in this regard.
The Arcadia Project is one of the best and most original urban fantasy series in recent years, in large part due to its focus on mental health and disability. Even if you’re not a habitual urban fantasy reader, I’d encourage you to check out this series. If you’ve already read Borderline, I don’t think Phantom Pains will disappoint.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
Fourth months ago, Millie left the Arcadia Project to work for Inaya West and her new studio. She’s finally gotten around to trying to clean up magical residue from Stage 13 with her old boss Caryl, when she sees the ghost of Teo. Except, ghosts don’t exist and that shouldn’t be possible. To make matters worse, a Project agent is murdered and Caryl is accused. If she wants to save Caryl, Millie will have to take it upon herself to investigate.
As with Borderline, Millie is the best part of the book. In the four months since Borderline, she’s grown a lot. She’s been going to therapy for all of that time, and it’s reflected in her narration. She doesn’t always have control of herself, but she’s more in control and more self aware than in the prior book. I love Millie’s character, and this character growth only makes me love her more. I can’t wait to see how she develops in subsequent books.
So when I was reading the first book, I was pretty certain Millie was queer but I didn’t talk about it in my review, since I thought it was mainly subtext. There’s no way that Phantom Pains can be deemed subtext. Millie is definitely, 100% Not Straight. Borderline hinted that Caryl may have a crush on Millie. As it turns out, she does, and Millie’s attracted to her. But Millie also knows herself well enough to know that a relationship with Caryl would be a terrible idea — Caryl has her own mental health issues, and neither her or Millie is in a place where a relationship could end in anything but disaster.
Phantom Pains also builds on the world in some interesting ways. We’d already heard of the fae courts, but they have a much larger presence here. In general, we see more of fae society and believes, although the focus is still on the Arcadia Project. Even there, more is revealed, with higher ups from the Project visiting LA. Towards the end of the book, there’s some huge revelations that will impact the books to come. I always want sequels to expand the world in some way, and Phantom Pains succeeds in this regard.
The Arcadia Project is one of the best and most original urban fantasy series in recent years, in large part due to its focus on mental health and disability. Even if you’re not a habitual urban fantasy reader, I’d encourage you to check out this series. If you’ve already read Borderline, I don’t think Phantom Pains will disappoint.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
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