Review: Wolfsbane

Book three of the Rebel Angels series
By Gillian Philip
Available now from Tor (Macmillan)
Review copy
Read my reviews of Firebrand and Bloodstone

It's a little hard for me to accept that there's only one more Rebel Angels book to go.  I've been enjoying the hell out of this series.  It's sprawling and twisted and based on characters who make mistakes because they can't be anything but themselves.  And, of course, the villain who takes advantage of that.

WOLFSBANE did feel a bit like a holding pattern before the end.  The stakes weren't quite as high, the protagonists didn't lose quite as much - but the antagonist didn't win as much either.

The first two books centered around the relationship between brothers Seth and Conal MacGregor.  WOLFSBANE focuses on a new relationship, that of Seth and his son Rory.  Queen Kate wants Rory in her power, but he's safe on Seth's lands.  Unfortunately, he's also a teenager and sick of staying close at home.  (Especially once he meets a teen girl).

WOLFSBANE takes place almost entirely in the world of the Sithe, with very little in "our world."  It's a chance to get a closer look at the Sithe who aren't in the center of the struggle and what they think of Seth's rebellion against Kate.  Few know that the center of their struggle is the fate of the Veil, but they can still decide who they want to side with based on how their vassals are treated and other criteria.

The time jump between BLOODSTONE and WOLFSBANE allows a variety of relationships other than Seth's and Rory's to progress.  There's romance, new siblings, and hate.  Seth's past mistakes haven't always won him friends, and some of those enemies are making their move.  The action in WOLFSBANE might be smaller, but it's closer.

FIREBRAND was an unexpected favorite of mine, but I'm glad I came across it, especially since the sequels have been so wonderful.  I can't wait to see how the Rebel Angels series concludes when ICEFALL comes out in the US.

Review: Bloodstone

Book Two of the Rebel Angels series
By Gillian Philip
Available now from Tor (Macmillan)
Review copy
Read my review of Firebrand

When I read FIREBRAND, I had no expectations.  But when I read BLOODSTONE, I had high expectations because FIREBRAND was so good.  For the most part, it lived up to my expectations.

BLOODSTONE is set several hundred years after FIREBRAND ends.  Seth McGregor, his older brother Conal, and their allies have been living out their exile in the human world.  But as Conal's mother gets older, the time nears for them to return to the world of the Sithe and face their old enemy, Queen Kate NicNiven, again.

Several new characters are introduced in BLOODSTONE, including two who share narration duties with Seth.  There's Finn, Conal's niece, who doesn't know that she isn't human.  Then there's Jed, a thief, who is surprisingly good at seeing through the Veil and noticing the Sithe.  Unfortunately, that's a dangerous talent for humans.  I thought the changing views was a nice touch.  I like Seth quite a bit, but it's interesting to see his actions from a perspective that doesn't know what he's thinking.  Jed also adds a nice touch of humanity to the mix, since Gillian Philip's Sithe remain very inhuman.

The plot takes a little while to get going.  There is lots of maneuvering to get the characters into the right places.  Once it does get going, some of the characters make horrendous decisions.  Yes, they're getting played, but maybe if they didn't make it so easy . . . BLOODSTONE is beautifully written, exciting, and it's wonderful to spend time with these characters again.  But it did suffer a bit from second book syndrome.

That being said, quite a bit happens, from the surprising to the sad to the triumphant.  There's not an actual shortage of plot, it just meanders sometimes.  The main characters are left in a very interesting position at the end of BLOODSTONE, and I can't wait to see what happens next!  I hope the US edition of WOLFSBANE comes soon.  (I'm contenting myself with the fact that UK readers don't have the fourth and final book yet.)

I think this series has become one of my favorites.  It's got a tortured hero who doesn't love easily, fairies, thieves, loyalty, betrayal, murderous frog people . . . what more does a story need?

Review: Firebrand

Book One of Rebel Angels
By Gillian Philip
Available now from Tor (Macmillan)
Review copy

I'll admit: I almost didn't read FIREBRAND because Gillian Philip spells the word Sithe instead of Sidhe.  I feared she might be a cupcake.  I am so happy I ignored that twinge of fear and chose to read FIREBRAND anyway.

The blurb says that FIREBRAND is an urban fantasy, but it's not.  It's part historical fantasy and part high fantasy, all portal fantasy.  Perhaps there is something to that discussion last year that portal fantasy is unpopular.  But FIREBRAND doesn't follow the typical portal fantasy model.  Seth MacGregor and his brother Conal are Sithe, living in their own world, and cross the portal into our world.  (For the value of "our world" meaning "historical Scotland.")  Then they cross back into their own world . . . and it certainly doesn't live up to the criticism that portal fantasy is unpopular because the real world isn't at stake.  Both worlds are at stake, as are the lives of Seth, his brother, and basically everyone in the novel.

Kate NicNiven is the queen of the Sithe, by her people's consent.  The MacGregors are her most powerful opponents, but she's canny about keeping control and preventing rebellion.  This, despite the fact that she want to destroy the Veil the separates the world of the Sithe from the humans and keeps both sides safe.

Philip's worldbuilding is top notch.  The Sithe are not human.  They have an alien way of thinking, as well as different culture and politics.  She carefully builds her fantasy land and then she brings Scotland into the mix.  Her Scotland seems no less fully realized.

But what really sells FIREBRAND is Seth himself.  He's not only the younger son, but also a bastard.  Yet he loves his brother and has many dear friends, no matter that he took awhile to develop any connections.  He spent his youngest years neglected, but he loves deeply and is loved in return.  He's fiercely loyal, and he may not be the most moral person around, but he knows when to make a stand for what's right.

Right now, I hate everyone in the UK, because they already have books two and three in the Rebel Angels series.  Meanwhile, all of us in the US are stuck waiting for more.  But based on the reviews, the wait will be worth it.