The Modern Faerie Tales: Tithe; Valiant; Ironside

These three tales are set in the same world as Holly Black's "The Folk of the Air" sequence, but rather earlier. The first and third are from the point of view of Faye, the pixie beloved by the terrifying Roiben, ruler of the Court of Termites, and we see in the first story how he wins his throne.The second story is from the point of view of Val, a girl who runs away from home and ends up living rough on the streets of New York, and the characters introduced here also turn up in the third story.These three stories are all firmly set in modern day America, albeit an America where exiled fae are everywhere, hiding under glamour in plain sight.Holly Black excels at writing dysfunctional family backgrounds; the second story is an extended portrayal of why drug use seems a desirable escape from real life (even when you are stealing from far to get it).I did not like these stories as much as "The Folk of the Air" books, both because they are technically less accomplished (there are scenes where people change position between different point-of-view descriptions), but also because the protagonists are so unsympathetic. These are the sort of unhappy teenagers who find solace in hurting strangers - whether they perceive them as better off than themselves, or poorer - because of the power kick that it gives them.These stories deal with solitary fae and an Unseelie Court, so the casual fae cruelty is even more pronounced here. But the humans do not seem much better. Their nastiness is limited by ability, not morals.

Didn't enjoy this. I persevered and read all three parts of the trilogy but found it quite an unpleasant read. For me there's too much antisocial behaviour from the kids in Holly Black's novels. None of the characters have much personality or individuality, they just seem to be stereotypical teens from dysfunctional families. There's a lot of drink, drugs and theft. She writes descriptively about the Fae but there's just too much of the contemporary urban side and it's pretty depressing stuff.

Thank you my daughter loved this

Love a good urban fantasy. This trilogy is pure escapism with very relatable characters. Holly Black is so talented :)

Really enjoyed this book .. great