Library Journal: In McCarty’s debut, a human named Poppy tries to prevent diplomatic chaos but gets caught up in Fae court machinations. Three years ago, Poppy was returned to the human world after 100 years of serving on the Otherside, in the land of the Fae. She works for an organization that handles legal bargains between humans and the othersiders. After growing up in the Wild Lands of the Fae, she isn’t adjusting well, and when a deal goes wrong, she seizes the chance to return to the Otherside and fix her error. However, Poppy soon realizes that the stakes of her mission are far greater than she thought and that the fate of both worlds may rest upon her choices. This is a fantasy with a distinctly unsettling edge, featuring Fae who can be dangerous and cunning. While the focus of the book is Poppy’s struggle to find a place in one world or the other and understand her previous life, the worldbuilding leaves room for more adventures to come. VERDICT For readers seeking fae-related fantasy with more intrigue and introspection than romance.
Mar 022026