Ballad for Jasmine Town

Humans and fae collide in this vivid urban fantasy from Ringle (Persephone’s Orchard). Rafi of Eidolonia is the son of two half-human parents, who are both counted by the government as fae and are denizens of the fae lands on the other side of the Verge, the border between fae and human territories. Rafi, counted as human, has spent his life drifting between the human and fae sides of the Verge, not really belonging to either world. He plays mandolin with Meloncollie, a 90s cover band, and meets Roxana Wei, a matter-witch who works with metal, when she attends their concert. As the two fall in love, relations between the faeries and the humans become increasingly fraught with a series of fae incursions into the border town of Miryoku. With the fragile truce between species hanging in the balance, Rafi, Roxana, and the town they adore are all at risk. Ringle’s worldbuilding offers a fascinating mix of magic and modern technology, balancing the known and the fantastical. The politics stay largely in the background as the novel keeps an intimate focus on Rafi and Roxana. It’s an unusual choice for a fantasy novel, but Ringle makes it work. Readers will find this a welcome change of pace. Agent: Linda Migalti, Susan Schulman & Assoc. (June)