The Dark Prince

A young author discovers that a mystical world she thought she created is all too real in Leech’s (The Key to Erebus, 2012, etc.) fantasy.
Océane DuBeauvoir spends her days in a Paris museum, engrossed in the research and writing of a novel titled The Dark Prince. It describes a time when the lives of mortals and supernatural beings called Fae were intertwined and both races traded freely between their respective worlds. It also tells of three royal houses of Fae: the Light Fae, the Dark Fae, and the Elves. The story relates how, after years of peaceful coexistence, the relationship between mortals and Fae fractured, the connection between the worlds was closed, and all evidence of the Fae was destroyed. Océane believes that her book is merely a work of fiction until the day an angry man comes charging into the museum, murders a security guard, and abducts her. Her kidnappers turn out to be two Dark Fae—Prince Laen and his sister, Aleish. They discovered the existence of Océane’s book and are taking her to the land of the Fae to find out more about it. As the young woman learns about the real-life Fae, she becomes caught in a love triangle with two possible suitors: Laen and his best friend, Corin, the crown prince of Alfheim in the Elvish lands. Leech’s briskly paced, compact narrative is bolstered by well-developed characters and richly imagined settings. Océane is a plucky, resourceful heroine who balances writing her book with volunteering and caring for her best friend, Carla, who’s battling cancer. Leech’s descriptions not only give life to the land of the Fae, but to Paris as well. She nicely stages scenes in which Laen, Corin, and Océane journey to the City of Lights and provides some light humor as Laen struggles to adjust to life among the mortals. Although the relationship triangle among Océane, Laen, and Corin follows a predictable trajectory, the author’s attention to the romantic needs and histories of her characters and how they affect their choices keeps the subplot emotionally involving.
An enchanting fantasy with a likable heroine, romantic intrigue, and clever narrative flourishes.