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Starfig Investigations #4

Fairy and Impartial

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All Twig Starfig wants is to settle into mated life with his wizard and be a good leader to his clan. No drama. No heartache. A happily-ever-after fit for a dragon. Or half-dragon, at any rate.

Instead, Twig and Quinn get roped into a new case involving missing orc stones. Yes, those really are a thing. Twig’s dad is on the PR warpath . . . again. Quinn's little brother can't seem to stop pining over their housemate. Someone—or something—seems to be following them. And getting quality time alone with his wizard is more difficult than keeping one’s virginity at an incubus party.

To make matters worse, Twig's old enemies start dropping like fairyflies, and they find themselves smack in the middle of an inconvenient murder investigation with a certain red fury as the main suspect. With everyone in Lighthelm convinced of Bill’s guilt—and by association Twig’s—Starfig Investigations is on the case.

Is there no one in the Elder Realm who’s fairy and impartial?

384 pages, ebook

First published September 30, 2021

34 people are currently reading
172 people want to read

About the author

Meghan Maslow

23 books397 followers
MEGHAN MASLOW is truly a rare breed. No, not a unicorn (although that would be sooo cool). She’s a—gasp!—extroverted writer.

She believes that life is meant to be lived. Preferably with lots of people around. Every day is an adventure, or should be. She’s spent a large portion of her life working and living in various countries in Africa. She’s multitalented, having perfected the art of eavesdropping in bars around the world while chugging local brews, and gabbing with anyone who isn’t quick enough to elude her grasp. She believes kindness is contagious, and learning to laugh at yourself is one of life’s greatest gifts (and challenges). She advocates for social justice, believes storytelling can be transformative, and surprisingly isn’t a misanthrope. She loves travel, reading, world music, Moscow Mules, awkward dancing, dreadlocks, her family, and um… writing.

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5 stars
404 (63%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
Profile Image for Meags.
2,485 reviews695 followers
March 18, 2022
4 Stars

Fun, romantic, action-packed and amusing AF, Fairy and Impartial is the fourth instalment in Maslow’s fantastical M/M romance series, following the lives of half-fairy dragon shifter, Twig Starfig, and his magical human mate, Quinn Broomsparkle.

If you’ve had the pleasure of reading the previous three stories already, then you pretty much know the tone and vibe of this series, and you know what to expect from this compelling and lovable group of characters and the often-intense cases they get involved in during their private (and not so private) investigations.

The magical world-building is still strong as hell, but it’s in this ever-expanding cast of fabled characters that really make this series special. As it stands right now, Twig’s clan/found family is stronger than ever, growing in numbers with each book and new introduction to additional characters, full of wonderfully quirky personalities, that fit in and mix so perfectly with the already established cast. I’m hard-pressed to pick a favourite, they’re all so wonderful in their unique ways. (But who am I kidding—my favourite is bow-tie collecting, sweater-vest wearing demon Bill… always and forever!)

There are many story arcs in play here, keeping my engagement strong and steady throughout. But the best thing about these stories is that I find myself just as enthralled when the action and danger scenes are unfolding, as when the quieter scenes between mates or clan play out. I just love all the dynamics so much that I enjoy all of it.

Four books down and I’d be happy if this series was never-ending. At the bare minimum, I’m gonna need at least one more story to explore exactly what is building here between red-fury Bill, special agent elf Leo and Quinn’s sassy younger brother Zak—whose impending three way relationship was teased at so deliciously here. I’m not usually one for throuples in my romances, but I have a feeling this particular trio will be a most welcomed exception when/if they finally get it happening.

Until then, I always have Greg Boudreaux’s epic audiobooks to revisit, should the need arise.
Profile Image for * A Reader Obsessed *.
2,699 reviews579 followers
June 19, 2022
3.5 Stars

Look. If you’ve come this far into Maslow’s series or are contemplating whether or not to continue, be reassured that this carries on the adventures of Twig, Quinn, and company with the usual shenanigans, life threatening situations, all with plenty of magic, betrayal, and familial bonding galore.

Twig and Quinn are back home, and life should be happy and peaceful as they are prominent members of society and trying to make some big changes. Thing is, progresssion and equality are not welcomed by all and murder after murder happens, where Twig and those he cares for are slowly being set up.

This was slower paced than previous installments, and the cast of characters can be daunting. However, the found family dynamics of demon Bill, Quinn’s brother Zak, with the new addition of orc Dandy, adds a fun spin to everything.

Overall, still entertaining, and I look forward to what new adventures are awaiting for this eclectic group of characters!!
Profile Image for Len Evans Jr.
1,503 reviews222 followers
October 1, 2021
This book and the whole series rocks!!

I absolutely love this series and this book is the best of the series so far!!! Adore these characters and love seeing them grow and mature. Hopefully there will be more books in the series cuz I can't wait to see what happens next!
Profile Image for Cæsar.
285 reviews31 followers
September 21, 2025
I had so much sun reading this book, another exciting adventure, the comedy is a show on it’s own, I laughed out loud so many times, this formula mixed comedy, romance, adventure, mystery, action, and murder, I think I became one of my favourites formulas, I had a blast! Congratulations to Meghan Maslow!!!



I have this book on audible too,Greg Boudreaux never let me down, incredible performance, superb acting, gorgeous voice, and each voice is different which I appreciate so much, he has made the book so much better, giving life to the characters!!! Praises to him!

5⭐️
Profile Image for Optimist ♰King's Wench♰.
1,822 reviews3,974 followers
December 20, 2021
I feel a little bit like a broken record but truly, this series seems to just get better. Each one makes me excited for the next to see what's in store for Twig, Quinn and their ever-expanding clan/family. And make no mistake, they are a family who gets messy sometimes and fights; they care enough about each other to tell the truth and don't pull punches and I couldn't love them more.

Maslow blends romance and adventure expertly. She intelligently weaves in important social justice issues without beating me over the head with them. What's more, these adventures are fun! And what can I say about Boudreaux that hasn't already been said countless times before? Simply put, he brings all of these characters to life. I can't conceive of anyone else telling these tales or bringing Twig et al. alive other than him.

Twig is one of my favorite characters; he's grumpy and ornery with a gooey center especially when it comes to his mate which appeals to me on so many levels. I love when the grumps find themselves having caught feelings.

Twig and Quinn are still over the moon for each other and finding it difficult to carve out "quality time" since their happy abode is bursting with stray clan members they keep picking up along the way. However, this frees up time to help out their resident red furry, Bill, get out of the pickle he finds himself in that drives this installment.

Of course, this takes them all over and even to some familiar stomping grounds. Catching up with these people/creatures is always fun, like catching up with old friends and meeting the new ones who make each installment that much more enjoyable. I'm looking at you, Dandy.

However, there are questions left unanswered about multiple characters that I'm now excited and nervous to find out the endgame. Excited for the possibilities and nervous thinking about how long I may have to wait to get said answers.

Regardless, I would HIGHLY recommend this series to fantasy fans who like their stories uptempo.

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A copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~.
1,896 reviews139 followers
dnf
July 8, 2023
DNF @ 13%

I think I've soured to this author's humor. Or this just isn't the right time to read this. One or the other. But I really don't find roommates barging in during private time and having zero sense of boundaries to be all that amusing, and I can only take jealousy so far (which is not that far) before I want to scream.
Profile Image for Cadiva.
3,999 reviews438 followers
March 18, 2023
The final one of the current series still has plot threads left open so I really hope we get more from the Starfig Investigations team soon!

This episode had lots of action, lots of drama and lots of laughs and it sees our heroes mostly in and around Lighthelm, with a few trips to familiar locations like the giant's tavern, while investigating some missing orc stones.

Dandy, the lovely orc who totally fails to match up to any species expectations, is an absolute delight, he's a tworc who loves glitter and glam, not bashing peoples' heads in while acting as mercenaries. He's hoping to find the missing stones and return them to his tribe in the hope he'll get some acceptance.

This is one of the things I really love about Meghan's work, she integrates real world themes and messages without it ever being bash you over the head obvious as Twig deals with discrimination, class struggles, prejudice and other events in their world.

As they begin their investigations though bodies start turning up, the bodies of people who you could say Twig has a dislike for and a reason for them to end up dead. Of course we get to see Special Investigator for the EIB Leo again and there's definitely something up between him and Bill which I am desperately hoping we get a book for soon!

No spoilers here, let's just say this book is a riot, there's so much going on that you never get chance to catch a breath and I loved it!
Profile Image for Melissa.
1,416 reviews95 followers
November 23, 2025
Nov 2025 audio review
Same 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

Nov 21 audio review
Yep, I knew the audio was going to be amazing. All the stars and then some more stars for the audio. 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

My love of this series knows no bounds. There is going to be another book, you can just tell by how this ended. I cannot wait!!

Below review still true. And I'll add that Quinn and Twig's family is growing with all these wayward orphans, lol. What will the next mystery/murder/problem be for these guys?!?!?!?!?

Sept 21 ebook reviee
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, first, my excito meter when I learned there was another book in this series was OFF THE CHARTS! I had no idea a new book was in the works and I was beyond speechless when I found out.

This series is one of my absolute favorites. Literally everything about it works for me and it is so hard to believe each book can be just as good as the last but somehow Maslow works her magic (👈 pun) and I am just as in love with each book. Maslow is an amazingly talented author and I am excited to read more of her work in the coming years.

The series MUST be read in order or you will be totally lost. Quinn Broomsparkle and Twig Starfig are back baby!! And Bill! And Quinn's little bro plus Twig's Pops. 😁

These poor guys can't catch a break. Murder, mayhem, conspiracy, secrets, lies, and some romance. What to say without giving things away...first, not all is at it seems. Bill is accused of something and of course Quinn and Twig defend their guy, plus Quinn's little bro (I am so blanking on his name right now!!!). Bill might be a demon who can kill you standing at ten paces but he's a good demon, and he would feel it beneath him to sully his hands with murder. Unless of course they deserve it. 😉

So Quinn and Twig have to figure out a way to save their friend, no easy feat since Bill can be a douche at times and not do what's in his own best interest and safety. Add to it that Quinn and Twig have a case to find orc stones, and wow, you have a lot going on.

This was such a good installment and I am keeping this on my list so I can buy the audio when it comes out. I haven't checked if it's out yet. I highly HIGHLY recommend this and you will not be disappointed. I didn't want to say goodbye and tried to savor this and take my time. I read this series over and over and getting this in audio makes for the perfect time to do a re read. 😁

5 stars!!!!
Profile Image for Ronie Reads.
1,560 reviews28 followers
June 20, 2023
A nice place to take a break. One has to wonder what the fates have in store for this growing clan!

What would entice an author to revisit a world they have created? Giving that audience just a bit more. I have all 4 books in audiobook format. Guess I'll have to get the ebook and make gifts if book 1.
Profile Image for Diane Dannenfeldt.
4,021 reviews78 followers
November 21, 2021
I was so happy to see another book in this series. So we have Quinn & Twig settling in after the events from the last book along w/Zac, Quinn's little brother. Zac has a huge crush on Bill & I don't think Bill looks at that way, but I'm not sure if it's because Zac is still under age or if he truly doesn't see him as a love interest. But then there is a scene between Bill, Zac & Leo that gives me some ideas. Anyway, someone is setting Bill up as the murderous demon everyone in the realm believes him to be. It doesn't help that Bill has fallen into such a depression & a unhealthy path of self destruction that it is hard to believe that he is innocent. But also, Bill does something that is near to unforgivable that totally destroys Quinn. It's going to be a very long time before Quinn will ever forgive him. On top of that Starfig investigation is hired by an Orc who is looking for stolen orc stones. Dani is such a sweet twink & I hated to hear how his swarm hates & treats him. OMG & Maddie, the cutest thing ever!!! So we have the two investigations going on, the stones & clearing Bill's name. With two active investigations going on, it was hard to pin point who was behind what & if was the same persons behind both. I love all the characters & can't wait for more.

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Ami.
6,241 reviews489 followers
November 16, 2021
Sometimes I wonder how an author keeps up with all the names and plots!! They must have a very thick journal recording everything, right? It's another delightful adventure romp of Twig Starfig, Quinn Broomsparkle, and their clan. I'm not going to say much of a "review" and instead I will add more of the plot here so I can remember when book #5 arrives

Profile Image for Kaity.
1,998 reviews24 followers
October 18, 2021
4-4.5 stars

Love this Starfig clan! I hope the next book we get a little more Leo, Bill and Zac 😉

Twig and Quinn are amazing and I love their little rag tag group! And this book was an adventure! Greg Boudreaux did a fantastic job being this to life!

Hope the next book comes out soon!!!
Profile Image for Caz.
3,276 reviews1,179 followers
June 15, 2022
5 stars for the narration, 4 -and-a-bit for the story!

I'm really enjoying this series; it's a lot of fun but has serious stuff going on as well. This book meanders a bit and isn't as strong in terms of the plot as His Fairy Share, which is probably my favourite of the series, but it's still fairly strong and brings some new characters into the mix. Greg Boudreaux's narration continues to be impressive; I noticed a couple of odd pronunciations, but honestly, he's just so damn good at everything else, I can forgive him for that!

According to the author's website, there's another book in the works - Bill's story - but no date set yet. I'll definitely be looking out for it.
Profile Image for Lily.
647 reviews21 followers
November 17, 2021
It was a pleasure to read about my favorite half dragon half fairy detective again. I wasn't expecting a fourth installment. The plot wasn't too inticing as I didn't really care about the orc stones and was pretty sure the answer would be magic. But I just loved MM zany cast of characters and their funny antics as they bust heads and cockblock Twig. Lol. I admit I didn't remember everybody and even had to backtrack to book 1 to jog my memory. I would definitely recommend rereading 1 or 2 books prior to this to have the details fresh in your memory. I hope the next book FINALLY pairs Bill with someone cause I swear I keep shipping him with everyone. Currently I'm on the Zak-Leo-Bill ship. Wooot-woot!
Profile Image for Kathleen.
1,440 reviews140 followers
December 24, 2021
3.25 stars

I'm still in love with the idea of this series, I adore the characters, but this book (audiobook) is tied with the second book Be Fairy Game as my least favorite. It felt disjointed, cobbled together and, at times... terribly silly. Compared to the incredible By Fairy Means or Foul and His Fairy Share, it simply doesn't hold a candle. It didn't help that narrator Greg Boudreaux continues to mispronounce fairly common words (i.e., divan --- die-van instead or correct pronunciation duh-van). Amateur stuff like this bounces me out of a story. But this was minor compared to the whole hodgepodge of a book. Disappointed.

But waiting patiently for the next one!
Profile Image for Eden Winters.
Author 88 books673 followers
February 9, 2022
I simply cannot see a day when Meghan Maslow writes something I don't thoroughly enjoy, and this fourth installment of Starfig Investigations just underscores that belief.

The combination of the author's story-telling skills and Greg Boudreaux's narration creates a book I couldn't stop listening to. I've come to love the characters, and ending an installment is like saying goodbye to friends. Man, I love how Greg personifies Twig's father! Perfect! So many wonderful secondary characters to love, too!

We get lots of action, lots of fun times, plots within plots within plots, and the joy of knowing the series isn't over. And above all, the book provides a look at a rock-solid acquired family.

Now, I wanna know about that elf...

Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Bibliophile.
855 reviews
October 10, 2021
Another enjoyable addition to this series. I especially liked the new characters introduced.
2,852 reviews3 followers
October 4, 2021
Just Outstanding in a Must Read Fantastic Series

Rating: 5🌈

Fairy and Impartial picks up right after the events of book 3, His Fairy Share.

So first thing right off? Read all previous stories if you haven’t done so already. In the exact order they are written so all the characters relationships, growth, and overall developing series themes make sense.

Trust me, there are some wonderfully complicated doings happening here and I suspect only Auric has a clue about most of them.

This is a densely packed series, epic themes of world salvation, good versus evil, line up closely along with those of forever love and found family.

Honestly, I treasure this series and love this new story. It adds onto the growing mysteries of conspiracy against Auric and his politics as well as introduces us to incredible new main characters that will have important roles to play not only here but in the upcoming stories. This is one wicked, well told epic!

Twig and Quinn’s relationship continue’s to deepen and thrive here as they face new battles and explore new dimensions to their powers and roles. Really, each is so amazing because they have such depth of character and yet still are showing such capacity for growth.

Actually that applies to all the beings here who are undergoing so many spurts of development simply because of the demanding times and villainous challenges they are facing. Zak has to learn accept certain things about his pursuit of love without asking if it’s wanted, Bill , all patchwork soul, needs to adjust to heartbreak for the first time and find his way forward, and well, there are others….

I don’t know how many books Maslow has planned for this series, personally I’d be thrilled if they just kept coming because this universe is so rich and diverse that it easily could host series after series even based on the different realms.

But this expanding found family or should I say clan? It has found its way into my heart. Now I want Twig to add a couple more… and I need to know more. I have questions, need answers! And always want more of each and every one of these fabulous beings.

You will too. But you absolutely need to read these stories in the order they are written to appreciate the characters, understand the relationships, the growth and , frankly, the series arc.

It’s fantastic and I’m highly recommending this and all of them.

Fairy and Impartial (Starfig Investigations, #4)



Starfig Investigations series to date:

By Fairy Means or Foul #1
Be Fairy Game #2
His Fairy Share #3
Fairy and Impartial #4
Profile Image for Kelly (Maybedog).
3,508 reviews239 followers
June 10, 2025
4.5 stars

There was a lot going on and I’m not sure it should be classified as a mystery. I mean, they had stuff they had to figure out and at one point they said an investigation was being taken over by Starfig but that was because the father was being a jerk, I think.

I liked the characters, especially the very new one. She was adorable. But she was the only female. It really bothers me that there aren’t any regular characters who are female and I’m not sure this new member counts. I understand having enough males to be gay but this is a one couple series. They could definitely put a female in. I don’t care if she has it together and is never the center of attention but really?

I liked the humor. I love how the dragon would say one thing about what he was not doing like, “I definitely was not hovering,” and then someone else, in this case the wizard, would say, “ Stop hovering.” Then the dragon would say, “Okay, maybe I was hovering a little bit.”

But it was weird when they used modern slang like, “I was low-key upset.”

I’m not sure what else to say. I love this series and thought this book was great. I’m taking off half a star for the female thing, though. Or not female thing…

Unfortunately, I think this was the last in the series and it makes me sad because there are still things unexplained. I think part of the prophecy is still out there but maybe I’m wrong.

I’ll read something else by this author though. Actually, I have and I loved it so there you go.

The reader was Greg Boudreaux who I adore. It was weird when he gave one character his own voice. It kind of took me out of the story. But since he had used a ton of voices already he probably needed more.

Profile Image for Joyfully Jay.
9,087 reviews518 followers
December 1, 2021
A Joyfully Jay review.

4.5 stars


Fairy and Impartial is another romp in Maslow’s fantastical world of Starfig Investigations. This time we go back to Twig’s first person POV, after the last book being from Quinn’s perspective, and I have to say, I was glad to see it. Twig has internal sense of humor that always appeals to me, and he’s so grumpy and yet not at the same time, that I just adore him. Not to mention, with so much of this book being focused on Twig’s clan, which is of his own creation and includes beings he chose, it made sense for Twig to narrate this one. I love the found family aspect of these books, and it’s strongest here, with new characters being introduced that I can’t wait to see more of.

Once again, I really enjoyed traipsing through this world that Maslow has created. It’s wonderfully detailed and fully fleshed out, filled with the trademark humor and over-the-topness one would expect from this series, as well as characters aplenty and tons of twists and turns.

Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
Profile Image for Tj.
2,225 reviews68 followers
March 1, 2022
This series is full of humor, action, and fun. The writing is smooth. I love the snark and how Twig pretends to not like how all these misfits are crowding him but he loves it. He has a clan and it is growing. Twig's father still is a bit a mystery to me. I know he loves Twig in his own way but it just seems his methods need work. I do love his "relationship" though it is funny to watch him. Twig and Quinn meet two more awesome characters and we lose some of the "fur balls."
Profile Image for Shelby.
3,359 reviews93 followers
February 2, 2022
Man oh man I love this series! Twig and Quinn's little pack of special people just keeps growing. They're quite the mess of misfits. No matter how much Twig grumbles in his draconic nature he really does care about all of those misfits around him

No Starfig investigation is ever complete without great danger to our heroes and of course this time is no different. Someone's out to set them up and are using the idea that they're the only one's connected to one particular red fury to suggest that he's been out killing off those that oppose them. All the tension puts the friends into awkward positions and brings up some tension with in the group. Ultimately though their bonds are strong and they'll all overcome the problems in the group. I loved the edition of Dandy and one cuddly hellhound into the mix of things too.

Twig and Quinn are always going to figure out what's out to get them and never back down from standing up for those that need help and protection. I adore these guys and can't wait to see more from them.
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