Not Just a Feyse

Over my almost three years as a book blogger, I've read all kinds of YA. Despite pushing beyond my own reading comfort zone on occasion, I gravitate to those stories involving the paranormal or the supernatural, in other words, books that often involve creatures or magic of some kind.

When I began diving into YA, I thought, knowing that I loved vampires and magic, that reading novels involving the fey, fairies, sprites, forest-dwelling magical creatures, and the like, would be right up my alley.

(click on a book's cover to be taken to its Goodreads page)

Turns out, I was mostly wrong.

I started with books like Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, Tithe by Holly Black, and Need by Carrie Jones. All three are fey books, but pretty different from each other as well. While there were good things about each, none of them really grabbed me and I was quite surprised with my reaction to them. It wasn't just that I came away not really feeling the books, but I was honestly put off.

But I kept trying. I read Wings by Aprilynne Pike, which was a nice read but the fey aspect was removed enough from the traditional fairy scenario that it didn't feel like a fey book to me as much as the others, more like fey-lite. Glimmerglass by Jenna Black came after that, but again, they fey did not do it for me.

Still, I kept trying, choosing next The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. And here is where things changed: I loved it. Absolutely adored it. Now, I know that the fey being the focus of these books does not make all things equal (as there are a lot of factors that go into whether or not I like and enjoy a book), but here is the odd part: after reading and loving The Iron King, I have read two more books that center on the fey and really enjoyed them both.

The first was The Poison Eaters and Other Stories by Holly Black, a book of short stories. Not every story focuses on the fey, but of the ones that did, I loved them way more than I liked Tithe. Same author, different reaction.

Next I read Brenna Yovanoff's The Replacement. Not only did this novel have much the same feel to me as Holly Black's work, but I was enthralled. Was this change of opinion due to reading a fey book that I loved? Maybe. But does that mean that a book like The Replacement gets the highest rating that I can give a novel? No.

After examining my experience with these books, here is what I have determined: I like well-written, action-packed, fantastical stories that involve the fey. But if the fey are too twisty, too dark, or just too much in general, I can't love the book. I can't love something that either grosses or creeps me out too much. The Replacement is the only fey book of that type that has come close.

So what does this mean going forward? Well, I'm not ruling out fey novels. I'm going to try to be open and hope I pick one up that really captures my interest and attention, but I'm also going to do a little research before diving in to give myself the best chance of an enjoyable read.

What do you think of YA fey novels? Have you read any that I mentioned? Got any recommendations?