THE WICKED LIES OF HABREN FAIRE

In this debut, a 16-year-old girl ventures into a forest inhabited by fairies known as the tylwyth teg seeking her missing sister.

In mid-19th-century Wales, Sabrina Parry and her beautiful and sickly older sister, Ceridwen, are struggling. Their mother died, and their father’s been sent as a convict to Australia, leaving Sabrina as the sole provider. The night after she encourages Ceridwen to marry to ease their financial burden, Sabrina startles awake and discovers that Ceridwen has entered the mysterious woods bordering their mining town. Following her, Sabrina enters a world of mythical Welsh creatures. She meets Morgen, the mermaid lover Ceridwen has been visiting for years, and learns her sister is going to meet the king of the tylwyth teg. Needing human help to vanquish the forces of the Dark Place, Y Lle Tywyll, the king is offering the reward of immortality. Determined to retrieve Ceridwen—whether she wants to return or not—blond Sabrina strikes a bargain with fairy prince Neirin, who has wavy black hair and “glass-smooth milk-white skin.” He’ll help Sabrina become the king’s champion, and she’ll help his court win the king’s favor. Fiteni skillfully portrays Sabrina’s prickly personality in a way that evokes understanding and sympathy; her multilayered relationship with Ceridwen is particularly well portrayed. In addition to the haunting, immersive plot, Neirin’s frank acceptance of Sabrina, flaws and all, makes their relationship all the more rewarding.

An enchanting otherworldly journey wrapped in the complexities of the human heart.