Just as all the fay have two faces, so too does the Queen of Faerie. Unlike many fay, though, the physical differences between the two fay are subtle. The unwary might mistake one for the other, and that might prove a mortal’s undoing.
During the months of summer, Queen Maev rules over Faerie. Quick to anger but just as quick to forget, she takes her joy in simple things, seeking only comfort and pleasure. She is ready to laugh and ignores weightier matters in favour of frivolity.
Queen Mab, on the other hand, has more sinister thoughts. She makes no secret of the fact she enjoys her position over others. She sneers at simple pleasures, taking her joy in humiliation and control. Her smile is a rare thing and never pleasant to see, for it often preludes discomfort for the viewer.
Yet both Maev and Mab have one thing in common: they are manipulators. They are expert in working the will of others to their desires. Nowhere have their charms worked better than on Thomas Rymour, who is in love with both. It is for them, more than anything else, that he wants to go back to Faerie. * * *
You may recognise Queen Mab from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, though the similarity is in name only. The name always seemed sinister to me, making it an easy choice for the queen’s dark face. Maev is an Irish name meaning “she who intoxicates”; perfect for the creature that seduced Tom away from mortal life.
Armies march, dragons scorch the skies, and those who yet remain free hatch a desperate plan. They place their faith in the one man they shouldn’t: Thomas Rymour. He may be the prophet who cannot lie, but Tom only cares about finding the hidden realm of Faerie.
Elfs, dwarfs, Faerie creatures, dragons, magic, and quests. You’ll find it all in The Fey Man, the first book in the Realm Rift Saga.
Will Tom satisfy his compulsion? Can he break free and help save the world? Or do the creatures of Faerie have their own plans?
“The Fey Man immerses the reader in a compellingly conceived alternative realm created with a powerful sense of character and place.” – Brian Sibley, writer of The Lord of the Rings BBC Radio Drama
★★★★★ “This is one of the best epic fantasy books that I have read.”
★★★★ “As a study of a man in the throes of addiction, or maybe withdrawal…[Thomas Rymour] was particularly well drawn.”
★★★★★ “I smashed through this quickly as it's a real page turner and enjoyed it thoroughly. The setting is familiar enough that entering it is enjoyable and welcoming and at the same time novel enough that you care about the characters and the plot.”
