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When you’re a half incubus, your reputation precedes you…

All eyes are on Gabriel Mac Braire the day he makes his first appearance in the Seelie Court, including those of Aislinn Finvarra. Despite deep bitterness over her last failed relationship, Aislinn cannot help but be curious about... read more

Summary edit see section history

When you’re a half incubus, your reputation precedes you…

All eyes are on Gabriel Mac Braire the day he makes his first appearance in the Seelie Court, including those of Aislinn Finvarra. Despite deep bitterness over her last failed relationship, Aislinn cannot help but be curious about... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

When you’re a half incubus, your reputation precedes you…

All eyes are on Gabriel Mac Braire the day he makes his first appearance in the Seelie Court, including those of Aislinn Finvarra. Despite deep bitterness over her last failed relationship, Aislinn cannot help but be curious about the half incubus who is known to possess dark magick, both lethal and sexual in nature. Rumors abound of the women who have become enslaved to his irresistible charms.

So when the Summer Queen of the fae orders Aislinn herself to act as his guide in the court, she is understandably on guard. She’s fallen under the spell of far less persuasive men before. In addition, Gabriel might be more than he seems and his true mission is far from innocent.

This time, Aislinn must protect not only her heart, but her very life…

Characters edit see section history

Show all 20 characters
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Setting & Locations edit see section history

  • Piefferburg
  • Black Tower: A large building on one end of Piefferburg Square that is constructed of black quartz. This is the home of the Unseelie Court.
  • Boundary Lands: The area where the wilding fae live. ceantar dubh Dark district. This is the neighborhood directly buttressing the Black Tower.
  • ceantar láir: Middle district. Fae “suburbia,” it also borders a mostly commercial area of downtown Piefferburg where the troop live and work.
  • Goblin Town: The area of Piefferburg City where the goblins, a fae race with customs that differ greatly from other types of fae, live.
  • Netherworld: Where the fae go after they die.
  • Piefferburg (“Fife-er-berg”) Square: Large cobblestone square with a statue of Jules Piefferburg in the center and the Rose and Black Towers on either end.
  • Rose Tower: Made of rose quartz, this building sits at one end of Piefferburg Square and houses the Seelie Court.
  • Piefferburg Gates

Organizations edit see section history

  • Faemous: Reality TV show
  • Furious Host: Those who follow the Lord of the Wild Hunt every night to collect the souls of the fae who have died and help to ferry them to the Netherworld.
  • Humans for the Freedom of the Fae (HFF): An organization of humans working for equal fae rights and the destruction of Piefferburg.
  • Worshipful Observers: Steadfast human supporters of the work the Phaendir does to keep the fae races separate from the rest of the world.

First Sentence edit see section history

Sex incarnate, the women and men around her whispered.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Chapter 1 - 28
Glossary

Glossary edit see section history

  • Book of Bindings: Book created when the Phaendir and the fae were allied. The most complete book of spells known. Contains the spell that can break the warding around Piefferburg.
  • bosca fadbh: Puzzle box consisting of three interlocking pieces. Once was an object owned by both the Phaendir and the fae, back when they weren’t enemies. When all three pieces are united, it forms a key to unlock part of the Book of Bindings.
  • charmed iron: Iron spelled to take away a fae’s magick when it touches the skin. Used in prisons as handcuffs and by the Imperial and Shadow guards, it’s illegal for the general fae population to possess it. Charmed iron weapons were a major reason the fae lost in the war against the Milesians and Phaendir in ancient Ireland.
  • Danu: The primary goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann, both Seelie and Unseelie. Also followed by some other fae races. Danu is accompanied by a small pantheon of lesser gods.
  • Great Sweep: When the Phaendir, allied with the human race, hunted down, trapped, and imprisoned all known fae and contained them in Piefferburg.
  • iron sickness: The illness that occurs when charmed iron is pressed against the flesh of a fae for an extended period of time, eventually fatal.
  • Joining Vows: Ancient, magick-laced vows that twine two souls together. Not often used in modern fae society because of the commitment involved.
  • Jules Piefferburg: Original human architect of Piefferburg. The statue honoring him in Piefferburg Square is made of charmed iron and can’t be taken down, so the fae constantly dishonor it in other ways, like dressing it up disrespectfully or throwing food at it.
  • Labrai: The god the Phaendir follow.
  • Old Maejian: The original tongue of the fae. It’s a dead language to all except those who are serious about practicing magick.
  • Orna: The primary goddess of the goblins. Accompanied by many lesser gods.
  • Phaendir (“Fane-dear”): A race of druids whose origins remain murky. The common belief of the fae is that their own genetic line sprang from the Phaendir. The Phaendir believe they’ve always been a separate—superior—race. Once allied with the fae, the Phaendir are now their mortal enemies.
  • Seelie (“Seal-ee”): A highly selective fae ruling class, the Seelie allow only the Tuatha Dé Danann Sídhe into their ranks. Members must have a direct bloodline to the original ruling Seelie of ancient Ireland and their magick must be light and pretty.
  • Shadow Amulet: The one who wears the amulet holds the Shadow Throne, though the amulet might reject someone without the proper bloodline. It sinks into the wearer’s body, imbuing him or her with power and immortality, leaving only a tattoo on the skin to mark its physical presence.
  • Shadow Royal: Holder of the Unseelie Throne.
  • Sídhe (“Shee”): Another name for the Tuatha Dé Danann (Irish) fae, both Seelie and Unseelie.
  • Summer Ring: Like the Shadow Amulet of the Unseelie Royal, this piece of jewelry imbues the wearer with great power and immortality. It also sinks into the skin, leaving only a tattoo, and may reject the wearer at will. This ring determines who holds the Seelie Throne.
  • Summer Royal: Holder of the Seelie Throne.
  • trooping fae: Those fae who are not a part of either court and are not wilding or water fae.
  • Tuatha Dé Danann (“Thoo-a-haw Day Dah-nawn”): The most ancient of all races on earth, the fae. They were evolved and sophisticated when humans still lived in caves. Came to Ireland in the ancient times and overthrew the native people. The Seelie Tuatha Dé ruled the other fae races. When the Milesians (a tribe of humans in ancient Ireland) allied with the Phaendir and defeated the fae, the fae had to agree to go underground. They disappeared from all human knowledge, becoming myth.
  • Twyleth Teg (“Till-eg Tay”): Welsh faeries. They’re rare and live across the social spectrum.
  • Unseelie (“UN-seal-ee”): A fae ruling class, the Unseelie will take anyone who comes to them with dark magick, but the true definition of an Unseelie fae is one whose magick can draw blood or kill.
  • water fae: Those fae who live in the large water areas of Piefferburg. They stay out of the city of Piefferburg and out of court politics and life.
  • Watt syndrome: Illness that befell all the fae races during the height of the race wars. The sickness decimated the fae population, outed them to the humans, and ultimately caused their downfall, weakening them to the point that the Phaendir could gather and trap them in Piefferburg. Some think the syndrome was biological warfare perpetrated by the Phaendir.
  • Wild Hunt: Comprising mystic horses and hounds and a small group of fae known as the Furious Host, led by the Lord of the Wild Hunt, the hunt gathers the souls of all the fae who have died every night and ferries them to the Netherworld. The identities of the Unseelie fae who make up the Wild Hunt are kept secret.
  • wilding fae: Nature fae. Like the water fae, they stay away from Piefferburg proper, choosing to live in the Boundary Lands.
Show all 26 glossary entries

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 1 of 5 in Dark Magick. (standard series)

Preceded by Hot for the Holidays, and followed by Cruel Enchantment.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Anya Bast (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Berkley
Country: USA
Publication Date: January 2010
ISBN: 978-0425232019
Page Count: 336

Classification edit see section history

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Adults

High Sexual Content

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • A Change of Season
  • Witch Heart

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

   
  • Hot for the Holidays

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