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.
No excerpt available.
© 2003-2026