Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale
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Ironside by Holly Black, is the novel sequel to Tithe : A Modern Faerie Tale. The author finished writing it on February 4, 2006. It is 336 pages long and it was published on April 19, 2007.
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[edit] Plot summary
In the realm of Faerie, the time has come for Roiben’s coronation. Uneasy in the midst of the malevolent Unseelie Court, pixie Kaye is sure only of one thing--her love for Roiben. But when Kaye, drunk on faerie wine, declares herself to him, he sends her on a seemingly impossible quest. Now Kaye can’t see or speak with Roiben unless she can find the one thing she knows does not exist: a faerie who can tell a lie.
Miserable and convinced she belongs nowhere, Kaye decides to tell her mother the truth—that she is a changeling left in place of the human daughter stolen long ago. Her mother’s shock and horror sends Kaye back to the world of Faerie to find her human counterpart and return her to Ironside. But once back in the faerie courts, Kaye and Corny find themselves a pawn in the games of Silarial, queen of the Seelie Court. Silarial wants Roiben’s throne, and she will use Kaye, and any means necessary, to get it. Meanwhile, Silarial is offering Roiben a lifeline; beat her champion and win seven years of peace and Ethine on the throne instead, or die trying. Whilst she is in the court, the Seelie queen attempts to make Kaye use Roiben's name by bribing her with the return of the 'real' Kaye. Kaye uses a fake name, and then escapes with Roiben's sister Ethine as a hostage. She later gives Ethine back in exchange for the release of a friends' brother. Kaye then finds out that Roiben is going to have to battle Ethine, not the knight Talathain, who they believed was the bright court's champion. She goes to warn Roiben. In order to speak to him, she must complete his quest, and she does, claiming that she can lie, with in itself is an untruth. He beats Ethine but, instead of simply killing her, asks her who she will pass the crown on to. The Seelie Queen objects to this, but Roiben declares that his sister has the right to declare her successor even with her last breath. Ethine gives the crown to Roiben, making him king of both the night and bright courts. But Roiben spares his sister, and when the Seelie Queen retaliates, she is killed.
[edit] Characters
Kaye: A changeling pixie who is in love with the Lord of the Night court Roiben; is given an impossible quest when she declares herself to him.
Roiben: Former Knight of both The Seelie, and Unseelie courts, now the Lord of Night court; is in love with Kaye but gives her an impossible quest in order to keep her safe from the evil side of the Unseelie Court
Corny: Kaye's best friend; is scared of most Faeries because he was being controlled by them many times; is openly gay; reads manga; is attracted to Luis.
Luis: A orphan teen boy who lives with his younger brother, Dave whom he is trying to protect from the Fae; is attracted to Corny; Has the Sight (ability to see Faeries) Corny.
Silarial: Queen of the Bright court; Roiben's former mistress.
Ethine: Roiben's sister, who was made heir to Bright court but gave up the crown to her brother.
[edit] Author's comments
Holly Black has made these statements about the book in various interviews:
"So I am still struggling with the climactic scene in Ironside in which normally crazy characters have decided to behave reasonably and normally well-behaved characters have gone completely off the rails."
"The Tithe sequel, Ironside, will probably be the last of the books set in that world. I am in the early middle of the book and so far there is hair dye, court intrigue and a character from Valiant."
[edit] Trivia
- While in Roiben's chambers, Kaye flips through "...an Emma Bull paperback she'd loaned him" - referencing another urban fantasy novel, War for the Oaks.
- The Unseelie herald is named "Ruddles" - a possible nod to the faery king of Lost-Hope in Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.
- When Kaye's mother Ellen gives Corny a makeover, Corny is given a new shirt depicting the silhouette of a man with a lance riding a rabbit. Ellen claims the shirt is from a book signing from an author named "Kelly...Kelly Chain?" This is a reference to Kelly Link and her short story, "Stone Animals".
