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Stranger Magics #1
Stranger Magics
No one holds a grudge quite like a faerie . . .
All Colin Leffee wants is to be left to run his used bookstore in peace, and to quietly drink himself to sleep every night in an attempt to drown out the memories of eight-hundred-plus years of existence.
Unfortunately, when a sullen teenage changeling is flung out of Faerie and onto his doorstep, the long-suffering, wayward son of Titania knows his dreams of solitude are dust. Colin—or Lord Coileán, as he is known to the Faerie court—must track down Meggy, the love of his life, and figure out how her child ended up in Titania’s clutches to begin with.
But with family, it’s never simple. He finds Meggy, only to have her yanked into Faerie—and the doors between the realms slammed and locked behind her. Now, it’s not just her life at stake . . . but the fate of magic itself.
Always the loner, Colin reluctantly joins forces with an intensely stubborn wizard, a young priest-in-training who fancies himself a knight, and his half brother Robin (the last most definitely not by choice) on a quest to reopen the doors and restore the balance between the realms. And with exiled queen Mab plotting in the shadows to take Titania’s throne, and the wizards of the governing Arcanum hiding their own agenda, Colin can’t be sure whom to trust—or whether he’ll live long enough to see the mission through.
All Colin Leffee wants is to be left to run his used bookstore in peace, and to quietly drink himself to sleep every night in an attempt to drown out the memories of eight-hundred-plus years of existence.
Unfortunately, when a sullen teenage changeling is flung out of Faerie and onto his doorstep, the long-suffering, wayward son of Titania knows his dreams of solitude are dust. Colin—or Lord Coileán, as he is known to the Faerie court—must track down Meggy, the love of his life, and figure out how her child ended up in Titania’s clutches to begin with.
But with family, it’s never simple. He finds Meggy, only to have her yanked into Faerie—and the doors between the realms slammed and locked behind her. Now, it’s not just her life at stake . . . but the fate of magic itself.
Always the loner, Colin reluctantly joins forces with an intensely stubborn wizard, a young priest-in-training who fancies himself a knight, and his half brother Robin (the last most definitely not by choice) on a quest to reopen the doors and restore the balance between the realms. And with exiled queen Mab plotting in the shadows to take Titania’s throne, and the wizards of the governing Arcanum hiding their own agenda, Colin can’t be sure whom to trust—or whether he’ll live long enough to see the mission through.
469 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 21, 2017
72 people are currently reading
246 people want to read
About the author
Ash Fitzsimmons
32 books47 followersAsh has always loved a good story. Her childhood bookshelves overflowed, and she refused to take notes in her copies of classroom novels because that felt like sacrilege. She wrote her first novel the summer after her freshman year of college and never looked back. (Granted, that novel was an unpublishable 270,000-word behemoth, but everyone has to start somewhere, right?)
After obtaining degrees in English and creative writing and taking a stab at magazine work, Ash decided to put her skillset to different use and went to law school. She then moved home to Alabama, where she works as an attorney. These days, Ash can be found outside of Montgomery with her inordinately fluffy Siberian husky, who loves long walks, car rides, and whatever Ash happens to be eating.
After obtaining degrees in English and creative writing and taking a stab at magazine work, Ash decided to put her skillset to different use and went to law school. She then moved home to Alabama, where she works as an attorney. These days, Ash can be found outside of Montgomery with her inordinately fluffy Siberian husky, who loves long walks, car rides, and whatever Ash happens to be eating.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
March 7, 2018
99c Kindle sale, March 7, 2018, for this urban fantasy about faeries, with a few wizards thrown in the mix. Worth grabbing if you like that sort of escapist read! 3.5 stars, rounding up. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Colin Leffee (aka Lord Coileán le fae) is an immortal half-human, half-fae being, who’s exiled himself from his mother Titania’s court in Faerie for her various misdeeds. For approximately the last eight hundred years he’s been whiling away his time on Earth, protecting humans from the terrors and mischiefs of less conscientious faeries, running an antique bookstore, and drinking far too much ― easy to do when you’re magical and can make booze, money or anything else appear with a thought.
But one day his past comes back to haunt him: Colin finds a teenage changeling that Titania has tossed out of Faerie, practically on his doorstep. Colin realizes, with a great deal of alarm, that this girl, Moyna, has magical powers and, worse, that his past connects him to Moyna and her mother Meggy, the only woman Colin has truly loved in all his years on Earth. In the process of locating Meggy and trying to reunite her with her daughter, who was stolen by Titania when she was a two week old baby, a trap is tripped that separates Colin from Meggy and her daughter and blocks the gates between Faerie and our world. Now the limited magical power that exists on Earth is slowly fading away; once the magic on Earth is exhausted, the magical gates sealing off Earth from the Gray Lands (“sort of a dark reflection of Faerie”) will fail, and dark magic will flood the earth. Besides, Colin can only imagine the tortures that his vindictive mother Titania is likely inflicting on Meggie and Moyna.
As Colin and his allies study the complex binding spell that executed the trap and cut Faerie off from Earth, they realize that they will need some help to break it. They end up on an extended quest, searching for certain devices that contain previously stored-up magic that will power their spell-breaking efforts, since the magic on Earth is too weak now. Luckily the Arcanum, the organization of Earth’s wizards, just happens to have an interest in these magic storage devices. Not so luckily, Colin’s past run-ins with Arcanum wizards haven’t been entirely cordial.
Stranger Magics, a debut novel by Ash Fitzsimmons, is an enjoyable, breezy urban fantasy adventure. It focuses on fae characters and their society, but also features a few witches, wizards and merrows (merpeople who don’t look at all like the popular conception of mermaids). Colin’s helpers include a Catholic seminarian, a priest in training who begins to develop doubts about his vocation in the course of helping Colin with his search, and who has an unlikely enthusiasm for suits of armor, swords and nail guns.
The world-building in Stranger Magics is well-structured and, for the most part, clearly explained … with the exception of a frequently-mentioned distinction between spellcraft and enchantment that never really made sense to me. The three key players in Faerie ― Oberon, Titania and Mab ― have been at odds for centuries, with ongoing power plays that affect both Faerie and humanity, and the heartlessness that is typical of faeries. Colin and other half-fae have all of the powers and immortality of full-blooded fae, but are also able to feel love and guilt. This and some of the other plot developments occasionally seem suspiciously convenient. But the plot rolls along fairly smoothly, though a few extended flashbacks from Colin’s long life do create some speed bumps along the way.
Stranger Magics is a light fantasy with a fairly minor romance element and appealing characters. It doesn’t noticeably expand the boundaries of the urban fantasy genre, but fans of that genre should enjoy it. While Stranger Magics is currently a stand-alone novel, Ash Fitzsimmons leaves the door wide open for further adventures of Colin and his friends.
I received a free ebook from the publisher, Harper Voyager, for review. Thanks!
Content note: A few scattered F-bombs and magical violence/death.
Colin Leffee (aka Lord Coileán le fae) is an immortal half-human, half-fae being, who’s exiled himself from his mother Titania’s court in Faerie for her various misdeeds. For approximately the last eight hundred years he’s been whiling away his time on Earth, protecting humans from the terrors and mischiefs of less conscientious faeries, running an antique bookstore, and drinking far too much ― easy to do when you’re magical and can make booze, money or anything else appear with a thought.
But one day his past comes back to haunt him: Colin finds a teenage changeling that Titania has tossed out of Faerie, practically on his doorstep. Colin realizes, with a great deal of alarm, that this girl, Moyna, has magical powers and, worse, that his past connects him to Moyna and her mother Meggy, the only woman Colin has truly loved in all his years on Earth. In the process of locating Meggy and trying to reunite her with her daughter, who was stolen by Titania when she was a two week old baby, a trap is tripped that separates Colin from Meggy and her daughter and blocks the gates between Faerie and our world. Now the limited magical power that exists on Earth is slowly fading away; once the magic on Earth is exhausted, the magical gates sealing off Earth from the Gray Lands (“sort of a dark reflection of Faerie”) will fail, and dark magic will flood the earth. Besides, Colin can only imagine the tortures that his vindictive mother Titania is likely inflicting on Meggie and Moyna.
As Colin and his allies study the complex binding spell that executed the trap and cut Faerie off from Earth, they realize that they will need some help to break it. They end up on an extended quest, searching for certain devices that contain previously stored-up magic that will power their spell-breaking efforts, since the magic on Earth is too weak now. Luckily the Arcanum, the organization of Earth’s wizards, just happens to have an interest in these magic storage devices. Not so luckily, Colin’s past run-ins with Arcanum wizards haven’t been entirely cordial.
Stranger Magics, a debut novel by Ash Fitzsimmons, is an enjoyable, breezy urban fantasy adventure. It focuses on fae characters and their society, but also features a few witches, wizards and merrows (merpeople who don’t look at all like the popular conception of mermaids). Colin’s helpers include a Catholic seminarian, a priest in training who begins to develop doubts about his vocation in the course of helping Colin with his search, and who has an unlikely enthusiasm for suits of armor, swords and nail guns.
The world-building in Stranger Magics is well-structured and, for the most part, clearly explained … with the exception of a frequently-mentioned distinction between spellcraft and enchantment that never really made sense to me. The three key players in Faerie ― Oberon, Titania and Mab ― have been at odds for centuries, with ongoing power plays that affect both Faerie and humanity, and the heartlessness that is typical of faeries. Colin and other half-fae have all of the powers and immortality of full-blooded fae, but are also able to feel love and guilt. This and some of the other plot developments occasionally seem suspiciously convenient. But the plot rolls along fairly smoothly, though a few extended flashbacks from Colin’s long life do create some speed bumps along the way.
Stranger Magics is a light fantasy with a fairly minor romance element and appealing characters. It doesn’t noticeably expand the boundaries of the urban fantasy genre, but fans of that genre should enjoy it. While Stranger Magics is currently a stand-alone novel, Ash Fitzsimmons leaves the door wide open for further adventures of Colin and his friends.
I received a free ebook from the publisher, Harper Voyager, for review. Thanks!
Content note: A few scattered F-bombs and magical violence/death.
April 25, 2022
I love quirky books that have a snarky sense of humor and STRANGER MAGICS was such a fun read! Colin, half-fae son of Titania, has been content to live separate from the land of Faerie, running a used bookstore and performing the occasional exorcism when wayward fae are being pesky to the local humans. I immediately liked Colin, who is quite sarcastic and dry (who can blame him at over 800 years old, though with the Gregorian calendar being a new thing, dates are hard to pin down… LOL.) Colin starts out solving one mystery in the form of his former girlfriend Meggy’s child, a changeling named Moyna, who was taken by Titania when she was two weeks old and is now a 16-year-old. But this has complicated repercussions. I can’t say enough that this book is FUN with a snarky, sarcastic humorous voice. Where else would you find the fae you are trying to hunt down reciting Big Mac jingles in Latin? And I particularly loved the snarky way he wields magic against inferior magical enemies (complete with lots of sarcasm.) It rather reminded me of a fun Kate Daniels book in that way, one of my favorite series. The fight with Drago/Steve was a favorite, LOL. There are quite a few flashback sequences. I really enjoyed getting to spend time with all of the side characters, especially Joey and Toula. Looking forward to more in this series!
December 7, 2017
*Source* Harper Voyager via Edelweiss
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
Stranger Magic, by author Ash Fitzsimmons, is her debut novel. The story's protagonist is Colin Leffee aka Lord Coileán a High Lord of Faerie who has owns and operates a book store called Ex Libris. For his other job, he works with Father Paul McGill exorcising Fae who cross the line and attack humans. One could say that Colin prefers humans over fae since they're not likely to attack him at any moment. The curious part about Colin is the fact that he is 1/2 human, and 1/2 fae. The 1/2 Fae part is the most important because it gives him youthful looks, magic, and immortality.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
Stranger Magic, by author Ash Fitzsimmons, is her debut novel. The story's protagonist is Colin Leffee aka Lord Coileán a High Lord of Faerie who has owns and operates a book store called Ex Libris. For his other job, he works with Father Paul McGill exorcising Fae who cross the line and attack humans. One could say that Colin prefers humans over fae since they're not likely to attack him at any moment. The curious part about Colin is the fact that he is 1/2 human, and 1/2 fae. The 1/2 Fae part is the most important because it gives him youthful looks, magic, and immortality.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
June 8, 2021
Beautiful story. I love the personality given to Colin, and enjoyed the inclusion of the old-school fairy queen Mab. Clearly the beginning of a complex world.
July 8, 2019
Stranger Magics is told from the viewpoint of Colin Lefee, a half fae, half human, who spends his life trying to keep his people (the fae) from harming humans. Things get interesting when he finds out his long lost lover had a child—his child—which was stolen by his crazy, fairy queen mother. What follows after is a great adventure with twists and turns and a healthy dose of sad backstory (I won’t go into details).
This book had me hooked from the start, and I really enjoyed reading from the perspective of Colin. As a fan of fantasy, I have read a lot of YA lately, and appreciate a more adult-geared story without all the overly descriptive adult scenes many stories in the genre tend to have. The author struck a perfect balance with this, and I cannot wait to continue Colin’s story in the next book!
This book had me hooked from the start, and I really enjoyed reading from the perspective of Colin. As a fan of fantasy, I have read a lot of YA lately, and appreciate a more adult-geared story without all the overly descriptive adult scenes many stories in the genre tend to have. The author struck a perfect balance with this, and I cannot wait to continue Colin’s story in the next book!
September 27, 2021
2.5-3 stars
Strangely, this sort of had the feel of a more adult Percy Jackson novel, with the contemporary setting, magic, dangerous and sometimes wacky immortals, with a helping of power struggles between various factions.
Cons:
- the misunderstanding between Colin and Meggy, which kicks off many core events in the book, seemed fairly contrived to me. One would think that an 800+ year old being would be able to navigate a relationship with a little more grace and sense. A little suspension of belief is required to swallow their falling-out.
- 'Moyna' is incredibly stupid and annoying, but then again, I guess she is supposed to be a spoiled teenager.. Sigh.
- not all the jokes landed for me.
Pros:
- spellcasting, enchantments, fae and wizards: this book has it all.
- the 'motley' crew members have different motivations and priorities, and I found their interactions entertaining
- Joey is awesome.
- I kinda like the volatile Robin too
- Once the plot gathers steam, there are plot twists and revelations aplenty.
From this point on, it's spoiler city, so proceed with caution!
I'd be open to trying out more books by the author though.
Strangely, this sort of had the feel of a more adult Percy Jackson novel, with the contemporary setting, magic, dangerous and sometimes wacky immortals, with a helping of power struggles between various factions.
Cons:
- the misunderstanding between Colin and Meggy, which kicks off many core events in the book, seemed fairly contrived to me. One would think that an 800+ year old being would be able to navigate a relationship with a little more grace and sense. A little suspension of belief is required to swallow their falling-out.
- 'Moyna' is incredibly stupid and annoying, but then again, I guess she is supposed to be a spoiled teenager.. Sigh.
- not all the jokes landed for me.
Pros:
- spellcasting, enchantments, fae and wizards: this book has it all.
- the 'motley' crew members have different motivations and priorities, and I found their interactions entertaining
- Joey is awesome.
- I kinda like the volatile Robin too
- Once the plot gathers steam, there are plot twists and revelations aplenty.
From this point on, it's spoiler city, so proceed with caution!
I'd be open to trying out more books by the author though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2019
Absolutely solid urban fantasy. Good pacing, witty bits, scary fairies, epic adventures, mistaken identities, and a knight with a nail gun.
November 23, 2017
This review is courtesy of BTH Reviews
I read Stranger Magics because it sounded very interesting and Harper Voyager kindly offered me a digital review copy. I'm very appreciative, because I enjoyed reading this book a lot. Although I received a copy for review consideration, my opinions are my own.
Quick Review: A fun tale with a good balance of action, humor, and drama. There's also some romance for those of you who like love stories. Loved all the characters! I would definitely read another book in this series.
The Story
Colin is a half-fae living in our world. He works with a priest, Father Paul, to keep other fae from harming or upsetting humans, which doesn't make him very popular among the fae. Colin's mother is the queen, but they don't get along either.
Father Paul is starting to train a replacement, Joey. In the first chapter, Colin and Joey work together for the first time.
Eunice Cooper is Colin's nosy but well-meaning neighbor. When Colin gets home after working with Joey, he finds out that Eunice has saved a strange teenage girl. The girl identifies herself as Lady Moyna. At first Colin thinks she is a changeling. He sets out to find her real parents.
Things get more complicated, particularly when Moyna and her biological mother are sucked into Faerie, and Colin can't reopen the gate. Something is sucking the magic from our world. Colin has to race to restore the magic and rescue the women.
The plot made sense. All the pieces fit together. There was only one place where I got a little confused, but I don't want to get into details about it because the book isn't even out yet.
The Characters
All of the characters were unique and well-developed. I really enjoyed how Joey was brought back into the story. He becomes an important character.
In addition to Colin, his mother, Joey, Moyna, Moyna's mother, and Father Paul, we meet a lot of other great characters along the way. Toula is a wizard who also becomes important to the plot.
I grew attached to Colin, Joey, Eunice, and Toula. They are very likable. Colin has a bad reputation, but he's a good guy. He's a hero you want to see be happy. Joey is young and enthusiastic. He's a lot of fun to read about. Eunice adds some comedic relief as well. Toula is more of a grumpy character, but she grows on you too.
My only negative note about the characters is that I didn't feel Moyna's reaction to Colin was consistent enough. Her prejudicial beliefs and hatred for him surfaces later, and I wondered why she hadn't shown that kind of animosity toward him from the start.
The Writing
At first, I thought the first conversation between Father Paul and Colin at the beginning was a good way to work in some worldbuilding and backstory without being too obvious about it. And it would have been, if it hadn't gone on for so long.
This becomes a recurring problem, in my opinion. The story comes to a halt during long scenes that only serve the purpose of either backstory or worldbuilding. Although the scenes are relevant--maybe not immediately recognizable as such--they slow down the overall pace.
I'm not a big fan of flashbacks to begin with, and this book contains a lot of them. I wrote several notes like: was this all necessary? Was this flashback relevant? I felt like the story got stuck in the mud every time it went into a long scene set in the past. The scenes were interesting, but made me impatient because I wanted to see what was happening now, not what happened in the past. I wasn't bored because the flashbacks were well-written, but I didn't feel like that level of detail was always needed to convey the information we needed to move forward in the story.
The prose, though, was excellent. I appreciated the writing style, setting descriptions, and humor. Also, I thought the author made a good choice using first person narration. I think it helped me understand Colin in a way I wouldn't have otherwise.
Despite my concern that the backstory and worldbuilding seemed dragged out at times in conversations, exposition, and flashbacks, I acknowledge that it is difficult in fantasy books to create an entire new world and people who come from there, particularly if they are very long-lived, without getting bogged down in those details. I don't think I would have complained about it at all if it had been put into the story in smaller chunks.
Do I Recommend?
Yes! I enjoyed reading Stranger Magics a lot. I would have rated it five stars if I hadn't gotten annoyed by the long flashbacks. I think what really makes this book great is the characterization. They're all interesting, likable, and well-rounded. Even though I thought the pacing could have been improved, I loved the characters and overall story. When Ash Fitzsimmons writes a sequel, I will definitely read it.
If you like books about fae or magic, told from a male point-of-view, you should check out this book.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (B)
I read Stranger Magics because it sounded very interesting and Harper Voyager kindly offered me a digital review copy. I'm very appreciative, because I enjoyed reading this book a lot. Although I received a copy for review consideration, my opinions are my own.
Quick Review: A fun tale with a good balance of action, humor, and drama. There's also some romance for those of you who like love stories. Loved all the characters! I would definitely read another book in this series.
The Story
Colin is a half-fae living in our world. He works with a priest, Father Paul, to keep other fae from harming or upsetting humans, which doesn't make him very popular among the fae. Colin's mother is the queen, but they don't get along either.
Father Paul is starting to train a replacement, Joey. In the first chapter, Colin and Joey work together for the first time.
Eunice Cooper is Colin's nosy but well-meaning neighbor. When Colin gets home after working with Joey, he finds out that Eunice has saved a strange teenage girl. The girl identifies herself as Lady Moyna. At first Colin thinks she is a changeling. He sets out to find her real parents.
Things get more complicated, particularly when Moyna and her biological mother are sucked into Faerie, and Colin can't reopen the gate. Something is sucking the magic from our world. Colin has to race to restore the magic and rescue the women.
The plot made sense. All the pieces fit together. There was only one place where I got a little confused, but I don't want to get into details about it because the book isn't even out yet.
The Characters
All of the characters were unique and well-developed. I really enjoyed how Joey was brought back into the story. He becomes an important character.
In addition to Colin, his mother, Joey, Moyna, Moyna's mother, and Father Paul, we meet a lot of other great characters along the way. Toula is a wizard who also becomes important to the plot.
I grew attached to Colin, Joey, Eunice, and Toula. They are very likable. Colin has a bad reputation, but he's a good guy. He's a hero you want to see be happy. Joey is young and enthusiastic. He's a lot of fun to read about. Eunice adds some comedic relief as well. Toula is more of a grumpy character, but she grows on you too.
My only negative note about the characters is that I didn't feel Moyna's reaction to Colin was consistent enough. Her prejudicial beliefs and hatred for him surfaces later, and I wondered why she hadn't shown that kind of animosity toward him from the start.
The Writing
At first, I thought the first conversation between Father Paul and Colin at the beginning was a good way to work in some worldbuilding and backstory without being too obvious about it. And it would have been, if it hadn't gone on for so long.
This becomes a recurring problem, in my opinion. The story comes to a halt during long scenes that only serve the purpose of either backstory or worldbuilding. Although the scenes are relevant--maybe not immediately recognizable as such--they slow down the overall pace.
I'm not a big fan of flashbacks to begin with, and this book contains a lot of them. I wrote several notes like: was this all necessary? Was this flashback relevant? I felt like the story got stuck in the mud every time it went into a long scene set in the past. The scenes were interesting, but made me impatient because I wanted to see what was happening now, not what happened in the past. I wasn't bored because the flashbacks were well-written, but I didn't feel like that level of detail was always needed to convey the information we needed to move forward in the story.
The prose, though, was excellent. I appreciated the writing style, setting descriptions, and humor. Also, I thought the author made a good choice using first person narration. I think it helped me understand Colin in a way I wouldn't have otherwise.
Despite my concern that the backstory and worldbuilding seemed dragged out at times in conversations, exposition, and flashbacks, I acknowledge that it is difficult in fantasy books to create an entire new world and people who come from there, particularly if they are very long-lived, without getting bogged down in those details. I don't think I would have complained about it at all if it had been put into the story in smaller chunks.
Do I Recommend?
Yes! I enjoyed reading Stranger Magics a lot. I would have rated it five stars if I hadn't gotten annoyed by the long flashbacks. I think what really makes this book great is the characterization. They're all interesting, likable, and well-rounded. Even though I thought the pacing could have been improved, I loved the characters and overall story. When Ash Fitzsimmons writes a sequel, I will definitely read it.
If you like books about fae or magic, told from a male point-of-view, you should check out this book.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (B)
November 20, 2017
Colin Leffee is a dealer in used and rare books, living quietly over his shop in Rigby.
He's also a half-Fae prince, at odds with his mother, Titania, working with a priest to stop other Fae who amuse themselves by harassing humans.
His relatively quiet life is disrupted when a sullen, teenage changeling is dropped on his doorstep.
The teenager is his daughter, but she was raised to regard Titania as her mother. When Colin figures out that she is his daughter, he wants to return her to her mother--a woman he had a brief affair with years ago. This girl, though, whom Titania called Moyna but whose mother, Colin's old love, Meggy, named Olive, is absolutely determined to return to Titania, and doesn't believe Colin when he says that Titania won't allow a changeling she's thrown out to return.
Colin's troubles are just beginning.
Mab has her own disastrous scheme, that will restore her to control of Faerie, but will destroy the human world.
What we get here are Fae who are people, but who are not human--who have culture, traditions, and bad habits that feel real. Colin likes humans, but he's by no means an unambiguously good guy. He's got lines he won't cross, but other lines that he happily will cross. His priest partner, Father Paul, has notebooks full of notes on Colin, his own and those of his predecessors, on handling him safely. There are also humans capable of magic--wizards, now largely under the management of the Arcanum, which Colin has a very tricky relationship with. Wizards would usually rather kill him, and he's not fond of wizards, either.
Then there's his brother, Robin, whose fun he keeps interfering with. Also Oberon, Robin's father but not Colin's, who has largely retired from Faerie, with his own court, to live in southern Florida.
And there's Mab, and her evil plot, which neither Colin, nor Titania, nor Oberon, nor Robin, suspect, until Mab tricks Robin into triggering a trap, and it blows up in his and Colin's faces, incidentally sucking Moyna/Olive and her mother Meggy into Faerie, and closing off Faerie from the human world, apparently permanently.
Oh, and one side effective of this will be to let the Grey Lands into the human realm, destroying the human world has habitable space for humans.
Colin, Robin, Father Paul's new seminarian assistant, Joey, and a human wizard of really questionable background (her father was a wizardly mass murderer, and she's had her powers partially bound by the Arcanum) have to work together, with access to magic pretty thoroughly cut off, to undo the closing of Faerie and save humans, Titania's court, and Oberon's.
I love these characters and their world. There's no necessity for a sequel to this book, but I'd love to see more of this world.
Recommended.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss.
He's also a half-Fae prince, at odds with his mother, Titania, working with a priest to stop other Fae who amuse themselves by harassing humans.
His relatively quiet life is disrupted when a sullen, teenage changeling is dropped on his doorstep.
The teenager is his daughter, but she was raised to regard Titania as her mother. When Colin figures out that she is his daughter, he wants to return her to her mother--a woman he had a brief affair with years ago. This girl, though, whom Titania called Moyna but whose mother, Colin's old love, Meggy, named Olive, is absolutely determined to return to Titania, and doesn't believe Colin when he says that Titania won't allow a changeling she's thrown out to return.
Colin's troubles are just beginning.
Mab has her own disastrous scheme, that will restore her to control of Faerie, but will destroy the human world.
What we get here are Fae who are people, but who are not human--who have culture, traditions, and bad habits that feel real. Colin likes humans, but he's by no means an unambiguously good guy. He's got lines he won't cross, but other lines that he happily will cross. His priest partner, Father Paul, has notebooks full of notes on Colin, his own and those of his predecessors, on handling him safely. There are also humans capable of magic--wizards, now largely under the management of the Arcanum, which Colin has a very tricky relationship with. Wizards would usually rather kill him, and he's not fond of wizards, either.
Then there's his brother, Robin, whose fun he keeps interfering with. Also Oberon, Robin's father but not Colin's, who has largely retired from Faerie, with his own court, to live in southern Florida.
And there's Mab, and her evil plot, which neither Colin, nor Titania, nor Oberon, nor Robin, suspect, until Mab tricks Robin into triggering a trap, and it blows up in his and Colin's faces, incidentally sucking Moyna/Olive and her mother Meggy into Faerie, and closing off Faerie from the human world, apparently permanently.
Oh, and one side effective of this will be to let the Grey Lands into the human realm, destroying the human world has habitable space for humans.
Colin, Robin, Father Paul's new seminarian assistant, Joey, and a human wizard of really questionable background (her father was a wizardly mass murderer, and she's had her powers partially bound by the Arcanum) have to work together, with access to magic pretty thoroughly cut off, to undo the closing of Faerie and save humans, Titania's court, and Oberon's.
I love these characters and their world. There's no necessity for a sequel to this book, but I'd love to see more of this world.
Recommended.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss.
November 29, 2019
Stranger magics review
I really enjoyed this novel – delving into the darkest side of fairy lore. I loved the way it seemed to start as a conventional religion v ghost intervention and layer upon layer it became apparent that there is so much more to this story and to the world that could potentially surround us. Colin works with a priest and this time with his new apprenctice to tackle fairy mischief which is assume by the uninformed to be caused by ghosts.
Underlying the story is the character of Colin, a son of Titania by duplicitious methods. Titania is the queen of a third of the kingdom of fairy-kind and a powerful but heartless ruler. Colin encounters a girl who it is quickly apparent to him was a baby stolen into the magic realms - who has now reached maturity and been banished by Titania from the pampered fairyland existance she has been enjoying. He has reason to mistrust that Titania would be kind to the girl if she managed to return as she desires.
Colin is a bookseller who has lived on earth for 700 years, masking his lack of aging by magic and the occasional relocation. He is swiftly joined in his adventure by his priest’s new apprentice and a wizard. They need to find where the stolen girl belonged and some surprises develop. Both these characters Joey and Toula are full of fire and hidden talents. With Colin’s elderly neighbour Mrs Collins they make a great team and I hope (and will investigate soon) they appear again solving further challenges.
At the same time we are drawn in further to Colin’s history. He is an engaging character: a bit of a lush but considering what has happened and continues to happen to him this is no surprise. Also because of his unique heritage it is likely that the alcohol has no adverse effect on him. I felt at all times that I was in the hand of a competent story teller, but with a wicked dark side – that I liked.
This is an introduction to fairyland but it is not disney and it is very enjoyable and entertaining.
I really enjoyed this novel – delving into the darkest side of fairy lore. I loved the way it seemed to start as a conventional religion v ghost intervention and layer upon layer it became apparent that there is so much more to this story and to the world that could potentially surround us. Colin works with a priest and this time with his new apprenctice to tackle fairy mischief which is assume by the uninformed to be caused by ghosts.
Underlying the story is the character of Colin, a son of Titania by duplicitious methods. Titania is the queen of a third of the kingdom of fairy-kind and a powerful but heartless ruler. Colin encounters a girl who it is quickly apparent to him was a baby stolen into the magic realms - who has now reached maturity and been banished by Titania from the pampered fairyland existance she has been enjoying. He has reason to mistrust that Titania would be kind to the girl if she managed to return as she desires.
Colin is a bookseller who has lived on earth for 700 years, masking his lack of aging by magic and the occasional relocation. He is swiftly joined in his adventure by his priest’s new apprentice and a wizard. They need to find where the stolen girl belonged and some surprises develop. Both these characters Joey and Toula are full of fire and hidden talents. With Colin’s elderly neighbour Mrs Collins they make a great team and I hope (and will investigate soon) they appear again solving further challenges.
At the same time we are drawn in further to Colin’s history. He is an engaging character: a bit of a lush but considering what has happened and continues to happen to him this is no surprise. Also because of his unique heritage it is likely that the alcohol has no adverse effect on him. I felt at all times that I was in the hand of a competent story teller, but with a wicked dark side – that I liked.
This is an introduction to fairyland but it is not disney and it is very enjoyable and entertaining.
March 24, 2022
An absolutely phenomenal fantasy read, with well-drawn characters and a fascinating magic system!
Colin is the handsome, twenty-something bookseller next door...who happens to moonlight as an exorcist with a priest by night. Why would such a young man have such extraordinary skills? He's actually an eight-hundred-year old half-fae, and he's working through some issues...Oh my gosh, I loved Colin! He's got a great voice. He's the kind of character that I only want to spend more time with (which is perfect, since this is a series!) His pain really comes through. I love that we get so many flashbacks to his past that build up the conflicts--both internal and external--perfectly. Yet the tone doesn't stay too dark. There is plenty of comic relief here that I equally enjoyed, with a great cast of secondary characters.
And the magic and world-building in this book! Fitzsimmons does a fantastic job of sketching out the nuances without dumping the info on our heads. Can't wait to read the next one!
Colin is the handsome, twenty-something bookseller next door...who happens to moonlight as an exorcist with a priest by night. Why would such a young man have such extraordinary skills? He's actually an eight-hundred-year old half-fae, and he's working through some issues...Oh my gosh, I loved Colin! He's got a great voice. He's the kind of character that I only want to spend more time with (which is perfect, since this is a series!) His pain really comes through. I love that we get so many flashbacks to his past that build up the conflicts--both internal and external--perfectly. Yet the tone doesn't stay too dark. There is plenty of comic relief here that I equally enjoyed, with a great cast of secondary characters.
And the magic and world-building in this book! Fitzsimmons does a fantastic job of sketching out the nuances without dumping the info on our heads. Can't wait to read the next one!
May 21, 2018
Stranger magic is an urban fantasy novel with quite a few classic components. Secret wizard societies, haughty Aes Sidhe, a complex magic system... Combine all that with a likeable if somewhat rogue main character and then provide a quest and companions.
Colin enjoys his quiet life running a bookstore but doesn't shy away from the occasional favor to an old friend. There has to be some thrill in your life when you are . But someone out there is about to use him as a pawn in their quest for more power.
While this reads like the first book of a series, certain character developments and the ending make it stand on its own. That is a point of criticism too. It seems like a lot is happening very fast at the end. Things that I would normally expect to take several novels.
But still, looking forward to sequels. The characters and world have a lot of potential and I'm expecting this to be the beginning of a long series.
Colin enjoys his quiet life running a bookstore but doesn't shy away from the occasional favor to an old friend. There has to be some thrill in your life when you are . But someone out there is about to use him as a pawn in their quest for more power.
While this reads like the first book of a series, certain character developments and the ending make it stand on its own. That is a point of criticism too. It seems like a lot is happening very fast at the end. Things that I would normally expect to take several novels.
But still, looking forward to sequels. The characters and world have a lot of potential and I'm expecting this to be the beginning of a long series.
March 16, 2018
Do you enjoy fantasy? Or stories with plenty of unusual characters, vivid action? Try Stranger Magics, the first novel from Ash Fitzsimmons.
Fitzsimmons brings us Colin, self-exiled from his mother Titania's faerie court into our human world, where he helps expel fae who like to have fun annoying or hurting people. The book uses some of Shakespear's Midsummer Nights Dream characters, and has a few mistaken identities too and some humorous moments. However, do not look for the kind of nice fae Shakespeare wrote; most of the fae in Stranger Magics are nasty to murderous.
Please read my full review here: http://www.morebooksthantime.com/stra...
Fitzsimmons brings us Colin, self-exiled from his mother Titania's faerie court into our human world, where he helps expel fae who like to have fun annoying or hurting people. The book uses some of Shakespear's Midsummer Nights Dream characters, and has a few mistaken identities too and some humorous moments. However, do not look for the kind of nice fae Shakespeare wrote; most of the fae in Stranger Magics are nasty to murderous.
Please read my full review here: http://www.morebooksthantime.com/stra...
August 4, 2020
A Wonderfully, Magical Tale
'Stranger Magics' by Ash Fitzsimmons was an absolute treasure to read.
Colin must return to the Fae world he had avoided for years, in order to rescue the love of his life and her daughter... Which also means having to face his mother, Titania, a cold-hearted Queen of the Faerie Court (one of three rulers) who holds no love towards her son. Along with the help of a sassy wizard, a knightly priest-in-training, and Colin's rather aggravating half-brother, he sets off to re-open the doors to the Faerie realm. His path is definitely not an easy one. Will Colin be able to save those he holds dear? Read the book to find out, you won't want to miss out on these amazing characters or the magical ride the book will take you on!
'Stranger Magics' by Ash Fitzsimmons was an absolute treasure to read.
Colin must return to the Fae world he had avoided for years, in order to rescue the love of his life and her daughter... Which also means having to face his mother, Titania, a cold-hearted Queen of the Faerie Court (one of three rulers) who holds no love towards her son. Along with the help of a sassy wizard, a knightly priest-in-training, and Colin's rather aggravating half-brother, he sets off to re-open the doors to the Faerie realm. His path is definitely not an easy one. Will Colin be able to save those he holds dear? Read the book to find out, you won't want to miss out on these amazing characters or the magical ride the book will take you on!
September 22, 2018
Stranger Magics by Ash Fitzsimmons
I had no clue what to expect from this book. It is an urban fantasy which brings the Fae into conflict with mere mortals and wizards while demonstrating the dangers of sibling rivalry.
The author did very good character development, particularly with Colin. Colin is Fae or at least partial Fae. He has lived a long, long time and has done things he has later regretted. His current occupation is working with a priest in pseudo exorcisms.
The character interplay was good as well as the soul searching by Colin. The sibling rivalry with his brother was well played.
Fitzsimmons wrote an excellent book that I enjoyed greatly!
I had no clue what to expect from this book. It is an urban fantasy which brings the Fae into conflict with mere mortals and wizards while demonstrating the dangers of sibling rivalry.
The author did very good character development, particularly with Colin. Colin is Fae or at least partial Fae. He has lived a long, long time and has done things he has later regretted. His current occupation is working with a priest in pseudo exorcisms.
The character interplay was good as well as the soul searching by Colin. The sibling rivalry with his brother was well played.
Fitzsimmons wrote an excellent book that I enjoyed greatly!
October 28, 2018
An altogether enjoyable read - fun and fantasy- filled with a relatively pre-established world (esp if you love Midsummer Night's Dream) that makes the fantastical elements easy to grasp. I found it had a bit of a problem finding its tone and sense of place - it often felt a little disjointed with the settings and timeframes. A whole lot happens very quickly at the end, which was odd considering this book was 400+ pages. Oddly paced, some slightly questionable consent based stuff also happens in the plot that I think could have been avoided. Would be interested to see other things this author does in the future.
December 28, 2019
Ash Fitzsimmons has created an enthralling fantasy tale full of likeable (and some unlikeable) characters. The main man in the story (and my favourite character) is Colin Leffee aka Lord Coileán ― a half-fae with a past he’d rather keep buried. On Earth, Colin owns a bookstore and just wants to be left in peace but events drag him back into the thick of it and he must prevail not only to save the lives of his loved ones but to save magic on Earth itself.
Stranger Magics is a very well-written urban fantasy and a great start to a now six-part book series. I look forward to reading the others! 5 stars.
Stranger Magics is a very well-written urban fantasy and a great start to a now six-part book series. I look forward to reading the others! 5 stars.
April 17, 2025
This shouldn't work, but it does.
The plot is kind of silly. Faerie half-breed. A magical emergency. For teenagers, right? Only Ms Fitzsimmons has thought it through, and the result is believable.
The Main Character is 800 years, and doesn't behave like a spoiled teenager.
The power struggling in the fae courts are difficult to understand though, and I would like to be shown some common fae. What makes the world go around?
Recommended, as long as you don't need the characters to endlessly 'evolve', starting from obnoxiuos sixteen years old.
Actually, there is an obnoxiuos sixteen years old. She gets a bit of what she deserves. I might be a bad person for enjoying that part...
The plot is kind of silly. Faerie half-breed. A magical emergency. For teenagers, right? Only Ms Fitzsimmons has thought it through, and the result is believable.
The Main Character is 800 years, and doesn't behave like a spoiled teenager.
The power struggling in the fae courts are difficult to understand though, and I would like to be shown some common fae. What makes the world go around?
Recommended, as long as you don't need the characters to endlessly 'evolve', starting from obnoxiuos sixteen years old.
Actually, there is an obnoxiuos sixteen years old. She gets a bit of what she deserves. I might be a bad person for enjoying that part...
April 7, 2020
I love stories involving fae/the faerie realm, so this book did not disappoint on that count. In this book, Colin, a half-fae, works to exorcise pesky fae from the mortal realm. I like how the author does not equivocate fae with demons, though. The book synopsis included here gives solid details about the book's plot and main conflict, so I'll mention what stood out to me the most: the Colin's deliciously sarcastic narration. His biting humor makes this book a pleasure to read. Also fun is the mention of a hamburger slogan in Latin. Very much a recommended read.
September 28, 2019
Not my usual genre, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Ash Fitzsimmons has created a wonderful, magical world, full of entertaining and intriguing characters.
The quality of the writing is immaculate. It’s beautifully written and well edited. There’s not a single sentence where I thought, “she could have phrased that better.”
High 4 stars, but then I reserve 5 stars for the likes of Dickens, Austen, Tolkien, Bronte etc.
I’m looking forward to reading the rest in the series.
The quality of the writing is immaculate. It’s beautifully written and well edited. There’s not a single sentence where I thought, “she could have phrased that better.”
High 4 stars, but then I reserve 5 stars for the likes of Dickens, Austen, Tolkien, Bronte etc.
I’m looking forward to reading the rest in the series.
July 7, 2020
This is a light weight piece of pure escapist fluff that had been sitting on my shelves unread for a while. I picked it up today and read it in a single sitting! It has likable and sympathetic lead who is just trying to keep his head down until a bit of fae family drama lands on his doorstep. I regret leaving it unread for so long but that just means I have more books waiting for me already written by this author.
May 26, 2021
This was entertaining and certainly kept me reading. Two types of magic, the fae squabbling and causing trouble in the mortal realm and a half fae (Chilean) trying to minimise the problems. However, the problems just keep getting worse for everyone and life gets very complicated for Coilean. There are more books in this series and if I didn’t have hundreds on my tbr list and about a hundred on my to be bought list these will be a way down the pecking order...
April 4, 2020
Ash Fitzsimmons blends the world of the fae wonderfully with our own in this tale of magic, revenge, and friendship. I loved the slow reveal of the main character's history, of his friendships that take no regard of religion, age, or species. A thoroughly enjoyable read with plenty of magic, action, twists, and fabulous characters.
March 19, 2018
Great book... almost gave it 5 stars, so call it 4.5. Loved the characters, and the overall setup. It lost half a star for all the coinky-dinkies with the main characters and their parents. But a really strong debut novel, and I can't wait until the author writes another one.
April 7, 2020
A nice read about people with magic living in the mundane world. If you’re expecting flying faeries, like I did, that’s not what you’re going to find. If you’re expecting good writing and storytelling, you won’t be disappointed. Barely has occurrences of LGBT, but it’s still there.
April 7, 2021
Stranger Magics is funny and clever, with real emotional depth. It's hard to say anything without spoiling the delight of letting it unfold, but gather together everything you know about fairies and mix in a Buffy vibe and you're almost there.
June 3, 2022
it was an enjoyable read. It had some Neil Gamain neverwhere vibes meets Lev Grossman’s the magicians. My only complaint is that I’d like a little more explanation on why faeries are so cold. A bit of back story may have been lacking.
October 22, 2017
Pub date: Nov 2017
I really liked this Fae/witch story with Colin, the son of Titania queen of Fairie living as a bookseller in the US, who is suddenly confronted with a surprising family member, and has to figure out a way to save those he loves with his motley group. It was fun, with enough quirky characters to engage my interest and a good ending. I see spin offs in this author's future, or at least I hope for some.
I really liked this Fae/witch story with Colin, the son of Titania queen of Fairie living as a bookseller in the US, who is suddenly confronted with a surprising family member, and has to figure out a way to save those he loves with his motley group. It was fun, with enough quirky characters to engage my interest and a good ending. I see spin offs in this author's future, or at least I hope for some.
November 24, 2017
Enjoyable urban fantasy. Hopefully more stories to come featuring these characters.
February 9, 2018
Surprisingly excellent, a delightful read.
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