Book Review: Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 432 pages
Author: Ivelisse Housman
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Release Date: January 3rd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Twin sisters, both on the run, but different as day and night. One, a professional rogue, searches for a fabled treasure; the other, a changeling, searches for the truth behind her origins, trying to find a place to fit in with the realm of fae who made her and the humans who shun her.

Iselia “Seelie” Graygrove looks just like her twin, Isolde… but as an autistic changeling trying to navigate her unpredictable magic, Seelie finds it more difficult to fit in with the humans around her. When Seelie and Isolde are caught up in a heist gone wrong and make some unexpected allies, they find themselves unraveling a larger mystery that has its roots in the history of humans and fae alike.

Both sisters soon discover that the secrets of the faeries may be more valuable than any pile of gold and jewels. But can Seelie harness her magic in time to protect her sister, and herself?

I LIKED THIS!

I honestly had no idea what I would think of this one and I consider it a solid young adult read. It leans towards the younger-middle YA range (not bad, just an observance) and I adored the audio production.

The unique core of the plot with the changeling identity really sold me on picking it up. There’s some standard fantasy tropes woven throughout but the characters (especially the main) brought everything up a notch. I liked the world building and magic system with all of the fae elements too. A good ragtag bunch where you’re never quite sure who to trust will keep the pages moving.

Rather than romance, this book focuses on the strong bond of sisters. And with alllll of it’s ups and downs (which is flat out RELATABLE). I liked that they argued, I liked that they disagreed, it all made for a realistic relationship that I loved reading about. Character growth is ever present and I look forward to seeing more of that in the next book.

Overall audience notes: