This engaging sequel to 2009’s Shadowfae
weaves rich sensual imagery and dark eroticism into a breathless thriller plot. Thieving fairies, vampire gangsters, powerful demon lords, and creepy earth-bound angels all compete in a frenetic, bloody race to gain possession of a powerful magical artifact, a tiny mirror from Hell that destroys inhibitions. Light-fingered party girl Ice, a strawberry-scented water fairy, finds herself brazenly indulging in both lust and brave anger after she steals the mirror from Kane, demon lord of decadent Melbourne. When she loses it, sexy metal fairy Indigo, attracted to Ice but fearful of connection, offers to betray alliances and help her regain the item, but his own mirror-taint makes him mercurial and impossible to trust. Hayes’s characters have distinct and delightful voices, and she’s developed considerable skill at blending the gritty and the supernatural. (Mar.)
