Winter's Orphans

Shadow Fae #1

by Elaine Corvidae

"At the dawn of Niune's Industrial Age, the Seelie Court, a heartless half-human aristocracy that annihilates any glimmer of fae power, holds the kingdom in an iron fist. Ignorant of her own dark birthright, Mina Cole is a factory slave whose gifts cannot be suppressed. In a moment of terror, she betrays her heritage to the hunters, and her only hope for survival lies in the hands of a man crippled in body and soul."--Cover.

Genres: Fantasy, Fairies, Fae, Magic, Paranormal

201 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mina is a factory slave in a cotton mill with an iron collar and an indentureship to pay up. She also has some strange abilities that flare up during times of high anxiety. One day a girl gets caught in a giant piece of machinery and watching her arm get mangled, Mina panics - something within her snaps and breaks the whole thing, freeing the girl before she can die. But her flare of power does not go unnoticed, and Mina's life is now in danger. The writing in this story has an engrossing style and well developed characters, and there are some dark parts of the story that contrasted with the fantasy aspect. Still, I felt that towards the conclusion things became a little bit predictable and stale plotwise. I think certain things about Mina's past would have been better if they were delved into further (her father, her life growing up), rather than being glossed over, and I was getting tired of the love story - both of the people involved thought themselves unworthy of the other (a point that was repeated over and over much too frequently).

[Shannon McGee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not your kids type of faerie book. This book's mythology is based on the old myths of the Fae. They are not nice creatures, but dark, very dark.

I think the dialogue was interesting and smart. I said before that I liked some of the quotes, and one in particular still sticks with me:
"Duncan sighed, 'Our Dreams become smaller and more desperate as we get older. I think. The world strips more from us, until we'd trade anything just to get back what we once had.'"

That quote is something I think most adults can relate too, with opportunities coming and going, doors opening and shutting. Sometimes we wish we could go back in time to when all the opportunities were open to us.

I liked it, and I wish we'd see more books steeped in the older, dark, Irish-style faerie tales.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good fantisy fiction book. Not my usual genre but was recommended to me by a family member. I enjoyed it.

[Dena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful, evocative, world of fae set in the industrial age. I love Elaine's books.