Darkshine

Vallier’s uneven debut features a tepid heroine who has been abused and neglected until she can no longer trust her feelings or instincts. When a chickadee speaks to Miriam, her first assumption is that she’s losing her mind, not that the bird is telling the truth about fairies and dangerous moths. Shocking revelations about her husband and about her own true nature leads to Miriam walking out and looking for the guide to fairyland that the chickadee told her about—before one of the evil darklings can find and kill her. Along the way she tries to learn about her changeling heritage and life in the fairy realm, but quickly realizes some things don’t add up. Vallier’s world is complex and interesting, but the characters are one-dimensional. Miriam is threatened with sexual assault multiple times, entirely so that various male characters can save her, and by the time she finds her voice she’s been plunged into a potential war. A sequel may be able to answer lingering questions for readers, but it will be an uphill climb. (BookLife)