After witnessing the murder of their parents, Jude and her sisters have been raised as the only mortals in the world of Faerie by the very man who committed the murders.

Constantly made to feel weaker than the Faerie Folk she is surrounded by, Jude craves the kind of power that will allow her to gain advantage over her tormentors. Seduced by the charismatic Crown Prince Dain, Jude is drawn deep into the dark and dangerous world of the Faerie High Court, where gossip and deceit lie everywhere. Soon, she finds that she is not the only one conspiring to gain more power, but as the stakes become higher and higher, it becomes harder for her to quit the game.

The first book in a new series from YA author Holly Black, the world of the Faerie is so vivid you can almost touch it. Magic reigns and with it both delight and terrible darkness follow. If you are a fan of Holly Black’s previous work then this new one will be a definite hit. If you haven’t read her work before, imagine what it is like to believe that faeries might exist, just around the corner, maybe at the end of the garden. But the faeries here are beautiful and twisted and you never know what is about to happen. Both romantic and dark, this is an addictive new series for lovers of urban fairy tales aged 14 and up.

Julia Gorman works as a bookseller at Readings Carlton and Readings Kids.