Fae

Gr 8 Up—Inspired by the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, Abedi here imagines the story of Virginia Dare's present-day granddaughter, Caroline, who is unaware that an immortal Fae bloodline courses through her. When Caroline turns 16, dashing Devilyn Reilly, destined to one day rule the superhuman Fae kingdom, moves to her small Roanoke Island town. Caroline and Devilyn tell the story in alternating chapters, with occasional narrative from the Dark Fae Kingdom or the Halls of Valhalla. The plot is somewhat repetitive, as Caroline and Devilyn advance and retreat, drawn to each other but grating when they are together. Immortal Devilyn, who has Dark Fae and Light Fae bloodlines, must protect Caroline from the Dark Fae, who will kill her if they find her. The vocabulary is sophisticated, but occasionally word choices seem forced. Celtic music starts and closes each disc, setting a nice tone, and Emily Durante and Mikael Naramore use accents and pitches to distinguish between characters. One character who doesn't work (from both writing and vocal aspects) is Patrick, who is portrayed as the most-feared Kelpie assassin, but grovels and snivels before abandoning his task as too hard. An additional selection where paranormal romance is popular.—Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX