A century ago Faerie merged with modern reality in an event
known as Convergence. Connor Grey is a resident of the
Weird, a section of Boston filled with human and fey who
are looking for a good time and often trouble. He is also
an ex-investigator for the Fey Guild who lost his job at
the same time as his druid powers. He is currently looking
into a string of human and fey disappearances marked by a
strange flash of blue light as well as the murder of
several dwarfs. Unfortunately, his investigation draws him
deeper into fey politics and rivalries, putting him and
those around him in danger. Grey's tired of being a pawn
in fey power games, but if he chooses to stand by and do
nothing it could mean the end of the Weird and possibly the
world.
UNCERTAIN ALLIES is the fifth installment in Mark Del
Franco's Connor Grey series. The world Del Franco has
built is complex and unstable, filled with magic and
dangerous political players. Not having read the prior
books in the series, I found it challenging to keep track
of the plethora of characters and understand the
relationships between them. Del Franco does a decent job
explaining the pertinent happenings of prior books, but I
would definitely have had an easier time following along if
I had started with the first book. That being said, the
plot is interesting, well-developed, and can stand on its
own. Unique circumstances and events add intriguing layers
to the plot, including a black mass that exists in Grey's
head and reacts oddly at inopportune times. There is not
as much action in the book as many other urban fantasies,
instead focusing on politics and interpersonal
relationships, but things do pick up during the second
half. In addition, issues that have existed since prior
books are resolved, which should keep dedicated readers
happy. I also appreciated Grey's strong male voice and the
depth of many of the secondary characters. Overall, it is a
good, solid read that will be appreciated by fans of the
series and may inspire newcomers to go back and read from
the beginning.
It's been a century since the people and places of Celtic
Faerie mysteriously appeared in our world, an event known
historically as Convergence. And in modern-day Boston,
Connor Grey is just struggling to get by. Connor used to be
a hot shot investigator at the fey-run Guild, until a battle
with an elf left his magical abilities crippled. Now he
consults for the Boston PD on their "strange" cases.
The Boston neighborhood known as the Weird lies in ruins,
devastated by a night of riot and fire. In the aftermath, a
mysterious surge of energy sweeps up anyone in its path.
When a body is found drained of its essence, the lifeforce
that binds everything in the World, Connor Grey finds
himself drawn into a murder investigation against his will.
Connor suspects a deadly fey has risen from the grave, and
as he hunts it down, dark secrets fro the early days of the
Fey Guild come to light--secrets that will destroy friends
and foes alike. Faced with dangerous truths, Connor must
save himself from the darkness with in him or use it to save
everything he has come to love. Both choices will bring a
price and neither will stop the approach of a war that will
tear apart the city--and perhaps the entire world.
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