Ravensong

December 15, 2022
A demon-hunting war god in a teenage body falls in love with a human. Until she crosses paths with Alexandria, a newcomer to their Massachusetts town, Neve never saw the point of making connections with humans. Neve is a Morrigan; she and her older sisters are a triad of Irish war gods living life after life as they fight demons at the entrance to Hell. However, only 17 in this current incarnation, Neve is still mostly human. She won't be granted access to her full powers or memories of past lives until she turns 18. Alexandria isn't scared off by Neve's sullenness and accepts the existence of demons with surprising ease, even as one is apparently out to get her. As Neve falls in love with Alexandria and makes human friends, the secrets begin to pile up. But when the truth begins to unravel, it's not anything the sisters ever thought possible. Neve is a refreshingly prickly character. She softens somewhat as she forms human connections and experiences gooey love feelings, but she always maintains a fiery demeanor. She and Alexandria, both White, are a delightful romantic pair with charming chemistry. Their diverse group of friends is a fun bunch who will hopefully be more developed in the second installment of this duology. Irish lore is naturally incorporated as the straightforward story becomes increasingly action-packed. A fast-paced, enticing blend of urban fantasy and queer romance. (Fantasy. 13-18)

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January 23, 2023
In tiny Newgrange Harbor, also known as Massachusetts’s “Secret Salem,” 17-year-old Neve Morgan is the youngest in a triad of reincarnating sister-goddesses known as the Morrigan, who are tasked with preventing demons from entering the world via a portal to hell. As much as she yearns to battle, though, she’s not yet 18, and is therefore “stuck in the bullshit liminal space between humanity and divinity,” separated from her powers, the memories of her former lives, and the older sisters determined to protect her. Worse, if she dies before reaching adulthood, the event will break the cycle of magic that brings the trio back, leaving the world unguarded. Neve nevertheless persists, training and fighting while maintaining her prickly reputation at school. When she encounters transfer student Alexandria Abbott during a battle with a demon one night, she and Alexandria become tentative school friends, in turn attracting others into a diverse friendship circle. As Neve and Alexandria fall for one another, the demon attacks upon the town intensify, leading to a terrifying revelation about the Morgan sisters’ true origin. Twining Irish mythology into solid worldbuilding and plenty of action scenes, Fay’s appealing, Buffy-tinged debut, a duology starter, offers up rich emotional interplay as perpetually snarky Neve slowly reveals her vulnerable side. Protagonists read as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Patrice Caldwell, New Leaf Literary.

Starred review from March 1, 2023
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Neve doesn't remember her previous lives, but she's sure they were better than her current one as the youngest of the Morrigan triad of Irish war gods, doomed to be treated like a baby until she comes into her full power in eight months. The wait seems interminable, especially after an injury sidelines her from protecting the world with her demon hunting. New girl Alexandria complicates things when she witnesses Neve being attacked by a demon. Alexandria manages to make friends with Neve, bonding over the rumors that run rampant at school about both of their families, and Neve finds it hard to shut her out, which would be safer for them both. As she falls for Alexandria, Neve also falls into a found family of outcast kids at school, to the point where she's willing to break every rule to protect them all from demons--and regular bullies, too. When the demons go after Alexandria, the mystery of why spells trouble for every person and almost deity in the city. Fay's debut, the first in a planned duology, hits all the right notes: urban fantasy twisted up with queer romance and high-school drama with a side of Celtic myth. Grab this and eagerly await the sequel.

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