Read Recently -- January -- Faces
Face Off by Mark del Franco
This sequel to Skin Deep finds Laura Blackstone, Druid, public relations head for the Washington DC Fey Guild, once again trying to balance her life (lives, really) various demands on her. As Mariel Tate, she works for Intersec chasing terrorists, a task that this time finds her going undercover to investigate a group known as Legacy, who have mysterious plans.
Laura gets the job for the same reason she already has two identities: she's a master of Glamour, the kind of magic that allows a fey to change her shape. Laura is better at it than most; only her boss at Intersec knows that Laura is Mariel. Even her boss at the Guild is in the dark. For this case, she takes on the Identity of Fallon Moor, a brownie who works for Legacy, but has some outstanding warrants that make her vulnerable to law enforcement coercion.
Legacy's main focus is encouraging the US government not to get involved with the Fey monarchies, under the logic that they are dangerously undemocratic. However, word on the street has linked them to a number of terrorist(ic) attacks on Fey business around DC. By replacing Moor, Laura has a chance to find out what those links mean and what Legacy is really up to.
Normally, replacing a real person would be impossible, but Laura's boss has Moor in a holding cell at Intersec headquarters and can Send information directly to Laura's mind. Which doesn't help when Moor forgets to mention that she was in a relationship with Legacy's leader until Laura's already face-to-face with the man. How far will she go to make the job work?
To add stress, Laura's boss (Terryn)'s lover is a leanansidhe, a kind of vampiric sidhe. She had been keeping it under wraps while working at the Guild as a medical examiner, but in the last book she kind of got knocked out of the closet when she saved everyone's life by absorbing an essence bomb. Saving everyone's lives hasn't redeemed her in the eyes of, well, just about everyone, because they're all afraid that she'll go after them next. The head of the Guild is trying to fire her and replace Terryn at the same time.
But wait, there's more! Terryn's clan is the only fey clan powerful enough to challenge the DeDannans for rulership over the Celtic Fey. Terryin is next in line for control of the clan, and his sister, who is in charge, is coming to the US to meet with the President. Both of Laura's identities are involved in dealing with this: Laura has to spin it according to the Guild's view, and Mariel has to help supply security.
Also, Laura has met a new guy (she actually met him in the last book, so giving him a name might be a spoiler for the end of that book), one who might actually come to mean something important to her. But she isn't sure, since she lives her life in secret, and getting involved means opening yourself up. And, of course, she has to confront the question, what is there underneath all the glamours? Who is Laura Blackstone, really?
Lotta stuff going on in this book, and I won't deny that I found the first couple of hundred pages a bit of a slog. What's worse is that I can't tell you why, either. It was just hard work reading it. I still liked the characters (or disliked them, where I was supposed to) and found the world interesting; it just may have been the wrong time for me to read this particular book. Anyway, things picked up towards the end and I just slid through the last 150 or so pages. I was a little peeved that I solved a crucial plot point before Laura did, but I suppose I wasn't under as much stress as she was, so I forgive her.
Recommended.
This sequel to Skin Deep finds Laura Blackstone, Druid, public relations head for the Washington DC Fey Guild, once again trying to balance her life (lives, really) various demands on her. As Mariel Tate, she works for Intersec chasing terrorists, a task that this time finds her going undercover to investigate a group known as Legacy, who have mysterious plans.
Laura gets the job for the same reason she already has two identities: she's a master of Glamour, the kind of magic that allows a fey to change her shape. Laura is better at it than most; only her boss at Intersec knows that Laura is Mariel. Even her boss at the Guild is in the dark. For this case, she takes on the Identity of Fallon Moor, a brownie who works for Legacy, but has some outstanding warrants that make her vulnerable to law enforcement coercion.
Legacy's main focus is encouraging the US government not to get involved with the Fey monarchies, under the logic that they are dangerously undemocratic. However, word on the street has linked them to a number of terrorist(ic) attacks on Fey business around DC. By replacing Moor, Laura has a chance to find out what those links mean and what Legacy is really up to.
Normally, replacing a real person would be impossible, but Laura's boss has Moor in a holding cell at Intersec headquarters and can Send information directly to Laura's mind. Which doesn't help when Moor forgets to mention that she was in a relationship with Legacy's leader until Laura's already face-to-face with the man. How far will she go to make the job work?
To add stress, Laura's boss (Terryn)'s lover is a leanansidhe, a kind of vampiric sidhe. She had been keeping it under wraps while working at the Guild as a medical examiner, but in the last book she kind of got knocked out of the closet when she saved everyone's life by absorbing an essence bomb. Saving everyone's lives hasn't redeemed her in the eyes of, well, just about everyone, because they're all afraid that she'll go after them next. The head of the Guild is trying to fire her and replace Terryn at the same time.
But wait, there's more! Terryn's clan is the only fey clan powerful enough to challenge the DeDannans for rulership over the Celtic Fey. Terryin is next in line for control of the clan, and his sister, who is in charge, is coming to the US to meet with the President. Both of Laura's identities are involved in dealing with this: Laura has to spin it according to the Guild's view, and Mariel has to help supply security.
Also, Laura has met a new guy (she actually met him in the last book, so giving him a name might be a spoiler for the end of that book), one who might actually come to mean something important to her. But she isn't sure, since she lives her life in secret, and getting involved means opening yourself up. And, of course, she has to confront the question, what is there underneath all the glamours? Who is Laura Blackstone, really?
Lotta stuff going on in this book, and I won't deny that I found the first couple of hundred pages a bit of a slog. What's worse is that I can't tell you why, either. It was just hard work reading it. I still liked the characters (or disliked them, where I was supposed to) and found the world interesting; it just may have been the wrong time for me to read this particular book. Anyway, things picked up towards the end and I just slid through the last 150 or so pages. I was a little peeved that I solved a crucial plot point before Laura did, but I suppose I wasn't under as much stress as she was, so I forgive her.
Recommended.