A Far Better Thing

Parry (The Magician’s Daughter) dazzles in this masterful fantasy riff on A Tale of Two Cities. Faeries whisked Sydney Carton away to the faerie realm when he was a baby, leaving behind a changeling named Charles Darnay. Now Sydney, who goes by his faerie name, Memory, returns to the human realm as a servant to the faerie Shadow. He’s secretly plotting revenge against Charles for stealing his life and hoping to break free of his master’s grasp. With the recent escape of former human servant John Barsad, Memory is emboldened to seek his own freedom and avenge his beloved, Ivy, who died in the faerie realm at age 10. Over the course of many years, as the French Revolution rages, Memory gets assistance from his human friends and makes deals with another faerie to achieve his goal, all while evading Shadow’s suspicion. Along the way, he uncovers Shadow’s plans, a dark family history, and his true identity. Parry takes her time unraveling the story’s knots and does an excellent job of distinguishing the characters from their changeling counterparts. The result is a rip-roaring tale rooted in love, vengeance, and justice. Readers will be wowed. (June)