Somewhat randomly....

...wrote a new summary-blurb of The Hellion Prince today.


The kingdom of Antarion belongs to humankind, but only provisionally -- the mage-lords who rule it leased it from Faerie, hoping to prevent a war like the one they had just lost. Hundreds of years later, the country is insular, divided against itself, and coming far too close to voiding its lease. When Damarhis, the sole heir to the second most powerful family in the kingdom, plays the wrong kind of practical joke, he finds himself suddenly the center of a web of intrigue spanning kingdoms and generations. An ancient immortal, a faerie Princess, the traditions of his family, the crown prince of his kingdom, a shy girl from a backwater barony -- who is he really loyal to? Who does he think his friends are? And as a frivolous, sharp-tongued teenager at the fulcrum of what seems like every secret plot in the kingdom, is there really any chance that he won't come out of this looking like a villain?

Changeling, by Delia Sherman.

I wasn't wildly enthusiastic for the first thirty or so pages of this book, but the moment the deuteragonist was introduced, my interest levels skyrocketed.  This book is really fun explanation of New York from a whimsical faerie perspective, with a strong, if caricaturish, set of background characters who really felt magical, and really inhabited their setting.  The places had meaning, and everyone was where they were for a tangible reason.

That said, some of the depictions of "fairy fits" could be seen as exoticizing autism as a Magical Other Power -- but the word autism was never used in the text, so the similarity could have been deliberate without meaning to make the audience believe autism was the condition in question.

The questing portions of the story, too, felt a little too rushed and a little too easy -- not sure what age group this book is intended for, but unless it's ... oh, no, it does say "younger readers."  Is there a specific meaning to that, implying a younger audience than YA?  I thought this was YA, and it felt a little wrong for that -- intended for an elementary or middle-grade audience, it's significantly more delightful.  Doesn't talk down to the audience, but it's paced for a shorter attention span.

In any case, it was quite enjoyable, and upon learning there was a sequel, five minutes ago, I grinned and immediately began plotting to acquire it.  So despite my criticisms above, I should emphasize:  this is a really imaginative and enjoyable read.