Kelley thought she was a typical seventeen year old when she was working at the Avalon theatre, in a production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but she couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s not until Sonny, one of the changelings who guards the Samhain Gate, comes into her life that she starts to realize that the fairy world is real and that she is really the daughter of the King of the Unseelie Court. It turns out that she was stolen at birth and her true identity has been hidden until now; it soon becomes apparent that someone wants her dead when a Black Shuck is sent after her. Can Sonny protect her, and can she accept and embrace her true heritage?

This book has made me realize that I am officially so over YA urban fantasy. At least for the time being. It was okay, but I realized that right now I am so sick of reading about fairies in the middle of a huge city, of girls who realize that the real world is a place where there are all kinds of magical beings, of books where half-way through someone who was thought to be normal is sprouting wings or fangs or something crazy like that. It’s joined the ranks of types of books books I need to not read for a while.

So what I have to say about this book is going to be completely different than what I would have said a year ago. Maybe even six months ago. I would’ve loved it then. Now… well, it just felt like the subject has been overdone. Plus the main guy, Sonny, reminded me a bit of certain other male lead in a certain other urban fantasy book. A little too concerned that said female couldn’t take care of herself, and (imo) slightly too protective.

Also, it seemed like there were way too many “coincidences.” Though I’m not sure I should be using that word, as the characters themselves didn’t believe in coincidences. Maybe Fate played too much of a part of the book. Like how it was way too convenient that Kelley’s roommate just happened to be a fairy.

But it did have it’s good points. I loved the first half, where the story focused more on Kelley’s time working on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Love that play, so loved that the book is partially about it. Loved that the guy playing Puck is supposed to be the real Puck. Also LOVED the scene when Kelley gets out of the shower only to find that there is a kelpie squished into her tiny bathroom. That was the one scene that had me seriously laughing out loud at the absurdity of the situation. The way Kelley reacted to it, the way her roommate reacted to it, ah! Just brilliantly done.

The Bottom Line: (Heh, the “Bottom” line, and this book dealt with Midsummer Night’s Dream. Heh. Bottom. Get it? I amuse myself.) I may read the other books in this trilogy if I can get over my YA urban fantasy funk. Maybe. We’ll have to wait and see how long it lasts. That said, if the others don’t have something to do with one of Shakespeare’s plays, I probably won’t read the rest of them, because that’s what will make me remember this book in the long run, and will make it stick out from the dozens of other YA urban fantasies out there.