Almost 1,500 years ago, the Third Mage War ended, leaving the losing fae army imprisoned in the Yorkshire moors. Now Cordelia Bant has taken up the cause of fae freedom among the sirens on Atlantis, while her mundane sister Amy has partnered with the U.S. government and the Danjou mages in the race to cure magical blindness. As each sister struggles to overcome setbacks, their brother Thomas crosses oceans to save an indentured mage from the Brazilian vampire who seeks to destroy her, and the Australian mages who desire her power.
Actions have consequences, and decisions made by the Bant family will herald the start of what could be the most destructive war the world has ever seen.
In an adventure that spans the globe, scientific discoveries and magical breakthroughs will astound, as prophecies are fulfilled, bindings are broken, and truth conquers deception. This is an epic tale of a magical, modern Earth, where truth is elusive and free will, a mirage.
Almost 1,500 years ago, the Third Mage War ended, leaving the losing fae army imprisoned in the Yorkshire moors. Now Cordelia Bant has taken up the cause of fae freedom among the sirens on Atlantis, while her mundane sister Amy has partnered with the U.S. government and the Danjou mages in the race to cure magical blindness. As each sister struggles to overcome setbacks, their brother Thomas crosses oceans to save an indentured mage from the Brazilian vampire who seeks to destroy her, and the Australian mages who desire her power.
Actions have consequences, and decisions made by the Bant family will herald the start of what could be the most destructive war the world has ever seen.
In an adventure that spans the globe, scientific discoveries and magical breakthroughs will astound, as prophecies are fulfilled, bindings are broken, and truth conquers deception. This is an epic tale of a magical, modern Earth, where truth is elusive and free will, a mirage.
In the wake of the Iron Age, Aphrodite created sirens for the primary purpose of preventing fae extinction. Sirens are self-replicating constructs who serve as a kind of magical battery: they harvest human fertility and desire, store that power internally, then transmit it to the fae. It is only through siren intervention that the fae are able to reproduce in our iron-poisoned world. Indeed, siren intervention is sometimes the only thing that will prevent a faerie from fading.
âSirens: An Overview for the Newly-Transitioned, 3rd ed. (2015), by Mira Bant de Atlantic, p. 4.
Marisolâs perennial lightness seemed somewhat forced when she pulled Cordelia aside as the group alighted on Yorkshireâs drab shoreline. âNow Cordelia, this will be but a brief visit. Just remember: once youâve attended the Aos SĂ this time, no one will be able to gainsay you on the basis of immaturity. Theyâll be forced to acknowledge you as precocious, and within the next decade, youâll have a place beside me at Court. All you have to do is to get through the next few days.âÂ
Marisolâs encouragement actually made Cordelia even more anxious. Her progenitor had known about the junior expedition for months, but had never mentioned the possibility that Cordelia might be included. Had she known, she would have accepted Marisolâs offer to shepherd her through her first attempt at fertility transfer at one of the smaller fae preserves in the States. But Cordelia had been enjoying her freedom in Atlantis too much to risk encountering her mother in the U.S.Â
Her mother always said it was useless to look back, so Cordelia plastered on a bright smile and nodded. Marisolâs eyes twinkled, and the faint lines of tension on her forehead smoothed out. She squeezed Cordeliaâs hand. âYouâll be perfect!â Marisol promised.Â
Courtier Vincent led the dozen young sirens off the narrow sandy beach up the trail that led to the plateau marking the entrance to the North York Moors fae preserve. Sirens had a natural resistance to fae magicks, so whatever spells had been cast to encourage humans to keep their distance didnât hinder the groupâs progress.Â
Nevertheless as Cordelia crossed the grassy plain into the forest beyond, she felt a slight stickiness on her arms and face, almost as if she had walked through a cobweb. The others seemed to be feeling the same thing because they brushed at their faces and arms as well, though they didnât seem bothered by the sensation. Cordelia heard laughter, but when she turned, there was no one there. While the fae, and the seelie in particular, were known to enjoy games and mischief with humans, she wondered how much truth there was to the stories of the Aos SĂâs dark humor.Â
All fae were dependent on sirens to combat their iron-sickness, but the Aos SĂ especially. After the Third Mage War, almost two hundred thousand fae had been imprisoned in North Yorkshire. When the mage cabal abandoned England in the nineteenth century, they had called iron to the surface of the soil, ensuring the Aos SĂ would remain confined by the constant drain on their strength. Now, this group of fae needed the sirens for their daily survival.Â
How the Aos SĂ must hate us, Cordelia thought, and shivered. It was summer, so it wasnât cold, but somehow the dim light of the forest reminded Cordelia of the winter sun, bland and dull. You couldnât even see the sky beyond the thick canopy of foliage. At least the iron didnât sicken the trees.Â
âI think we will find a dryad for you, Cordelia,â Marisol remarked from behind. She huffed a little as she tried to keep up with the faster pace Vincent had set. Cordelia slowed so she could walk next to Marisol. âDryads are fairly gentle, and totally attached to their trees. They donât play like the seelie, but Iâm not sure youâre ready to play games with the fae just yet.âÂ
Marisol sounded anxious again. A little late to be worrying now, Cordelia thought. She consciously strove to recall the lessons from her motherâs textbook: âThe fae need sirens. No fae has ever hurt a siren.â But her mother had also cautioned her that what the fae viewed as hurtful was quite different from what sirens considered hurtful. The fae were immortal, after all.Â
Cordelia was grateful that Marisol was at least considering what kind of fae should be her first. âA dryad, rather than one of the moss folk or a brownie?â she asked hesitantly.Â
âYes, I think a dryad would be a good choice. Theyâre sweet and somewhat single-minded. Thereâs a rowan I like quite a lot. Heâs attached to Titaniaâs tree, so is rather a special dryad, after all.âÂ
Cordeliaâs mother had always hated Marisolâs fixation on status, but Cordelia was grateful for her attention to such details. Contrary to her motherâs determined obliviousness, status mattered on Atlantis. And in the States, too. Everywhere, really.
âOf course, Marisol,â Cordelia said. âWhatever you think best.âÂ
âNanna, remember,â Marisol corrected, squeezing Cordeliaâs arm gently. âI amyour progenitor, after all.âÂ
âNanna,â Cordelia obediently replied, and Marisol smiled.Â
âI think you should go today. Get it over with, donât you think? Then you wonât be fretting about it.âÂ
Cordeliaâs heart pounded, and she thought sheâd rather watch a few of the more experienced sirens first. But she said nothing, not knowing how to admit to Marisol that she was scared.Â
âYou know, Iâll show you first. Iâm full to the brim, and it does get rather uncomfortable feeling so stuffed. Of course, itâs important when coming to the Moors that youâre as full as possible. The Aos SĂ need so much. Itâs impossible, really...â Marisolâs cheer faded and her voice trailed off.Â
Perhaps the reconcilers were right, Cordelia mused. This continued imprisonment of the Aos SĂ wasnât good for the Atlantics either. All the sirens who cycled through the Moors seemed to return in a very bad mood. Even her progenitorâs air of carefree bonhomieevaporated for a time after she returned from one of her trips to England.Â
Marisol had been asked to serve as a courtier because of her prodigious capacity for fertility transfer. It was said she could hold the full fertility of more than a dozen humans, and such a power was obviously greatly needed here. While Marisol relished the status her power gave her, she never seemed quite herself after traveling to Yorkshire.Â
âMarisol! You have returned!â a deep voice echoed through the small clearing, and an enormous silver-white falcon flew down from the trees to cross their path before soaring back to its perch above. Its wingspan stretched at least six feet across, and Cordelia wondered if the bird might in fact be a glamoured fae.Â
The trees shook a little as the leaves of the large hawthorn on their left slowly bloomed into a dense fog of small white flowers with pink speckles. The whiteness of the blossoms glowed in the dim light of the forest. The rest of the group were a bit farther ahead, but at the sound of the faerieâs greeting, paused to look back.Â
The juniors had welcomed Cordelia on the expedition, despite the fact that sheâd been a last-minute addition and was far less prepared than they were. She knew that but for Marisolâs influence, she wouldnât have been included, but then Marisol probably wouldnât have agreed to chaperone had it not been for her. Perhaps the juniors were only being nice to her because of that; everyone knew how beloved Marisol was by the fae. Having her shepherd them through this obligatory visit to the Aos SĂ would definitely reduce their risk ⌠if it was, in fact, risky. One moment, the juniors would speak as if visiting the Aos SĂ were no big deal, but in the next, theyâd remind each other of the various atrocities committed by the Aos SĂ during the Third Mage War.Â
As the heavy odor of wet, rotting leaves overcame the smell of honeysuckle that had originally welcomed them into the forest, Cordelia moved closer to Marisol, who seemed delighted by the hawthornâs transformation. Cordelia now understood why the others were so grateful for her presence, and tried to find some comfort in Marisolâs enjoyment of the fae magick.
The white flowers slowly shrank back into the treeâs branches, and gradually a white face emerged from the greenery. The seelieâs pale skin glowed like the surface of the moon, and only the scattering of pink freckles across his cheeks broke up the luminosity of his face. He had grass-green eyes, and a full mouth that smiled a welcome at Marisol. He was easily the largest person Cordelia had ever seen; standing more than seven feet tall, he towered over Vincent, who had come back into the clearing with the group.Â
âBoyaryshnik, you always know me, no matter what face I wear.â Marisol giggled and extended her hand in a limp wave.Â
Boyaryshnik bowed over Marisolâs hand, his massive torso folding in a perfect ninety-degree angle. He was so close, Cordelia could see the lace trim on his gray shirt twist suddenly into bark and then back again. So this was a seelie. She had never met one of the fae elite before. Her mother had warned that because the seelie aped human ways, they were even more dangerous than the fae who appeared less human: Their mannerisms made it too easy to forget that the fae thought so differently than humans or even sirens. At least living with sirens for the past four years enabled Cordelia to ignore Boyaryshnikâs shocking handsomeness.Â
His cheekbones and chin seemed almost chiseled into perfection, and the thin, close-cut fabric of his gray shirt and old-fashioned breeches were designed to show off his musculature. Unlike the sirens, who often draped their magical beauty beneath loose-cut fabrics, the fae were known to enjoy accentuating their glamoured figures with their clothing.Â
âMarisol, I did not expect you for months! This is a real treat.â Boyaryshnikâs voice rumbled in a deep bass that Cordelia found unexpectedly appealing.Â
âAnd who is this delight beside you?â Boyaryshnik focused his attention on Cordelia, who felt her face grow hot as she looked away from the faerieâs glowing eyes. She wasnât affected by him, not like a human would have been, but nevertheless she felt uncomfortable with his attention.Â
âThis is my offspring, and I am pleased to accompany her on her first trip to visit the Aos SĂ.â Marisol didnât offer her name, and Cordelia was frankly relieved when Boyaryshnik glanced about at the others who had formed a semicircle around them.Â
âAh, these are the young Atlantics Titania promised were coming to play.âÂ
Cordelia saw a flicker of light around the edge of the clearing and realized that there were probably several fae hiding in the undergrowth.Â
âWe shanât be staying long enough to play many games this time. But come, Iâm full to bursting, and you seem even paler than usual after your elaborate display.âÂ
âMarisol, really? Canât this wait until we get to the old-growth forest?â Vincent complained.Â
âWeâre here, and you said we ought to do a demonstration before the group splits up. So why not get started now? Never say Iâm anything but diligent at my work.â Even Cordelia caught the barbs in Marisolâs tone. Clearly, Vincentâs offhand put-downs of Marisol as too flighty to serve as a courtier had reached her ears. Perhaps she had come on this trip to prove her worth to the High Court, and not merely to ensure that Cordelia succeeded at this rite of passage.Â
âI had better start us off. After all, my capacity is double yours, is it not?â Marisol spoke sweetly, and didnât bother waiting for Vincentâs acknowledgment before moving even closer to Boyaryshnik.Â
âAh, so Iâm to be a demonstration? Is that all I am to you, love?â Boyaryshnik seemed impossibly flirtatious, but Cordelia thought his face looked tense.Â
Marisol ignored his comment as she looked at the junior sirens. âThe Aos SĂ are simply fae, just like all the others you have met. There is no difference, really. Watch.â Marisol gestured, and Boyaryshnik obligingly knelt down, so that his face was within Marisolâs reach. âJust a gentle kiss to restore what you lost when you loosed your gyrfalcon,â Marisol said softly.Â
âYou noticed,â Boyaryshnik rumbled.Â
Marisol patted his shoulder. âI love your falcons. And you called my favorite for me. Such a welcome deserves a guesting-gift in return.â Marisol clasped her hands on the sides of his face and kissed him gently on the mouth. Cordelia could see his eyes flutter, then close. The sound of rain enveloped them, and as Cordelia looked around to see where it was falling, suddenly Boyaryshnik stood up and Marisol stepped back, practically into Cordelia.Â
It seemed that Boyaryshnikâs whole demeanor had changed. Cordelia couldnât pinpoint exactly why she thought so. Perhaps it was the languid grin that had changed his visage. His prior smile had an edge to it that she hadnât noticed until it was replaced by this new expression. It was almost as if he had been starving before, but now had finally had a feast.Â
âAh, Marisol, for that, I will let you flymy birds. Come, let me lead the way.â And with that, Boyaryshnik swept Marisol to the front of the group.Â
Cordeliaâs gaze was caught by the flash of a firefly, and she paused, wondering whether it were truly a firefly, or perhaps a will oâ the wisp. Suddenly, she realized that she was in danger of being left behind, and hurried to catch up. A tree root rose in her path, and Cordelia stumbled. Out of nowhere, a rail-thin woman appeared, taking her arm to steady her.Â
âTake care,â she said, so softly that Cordelia wasnât sure she had actually heard her. Her eyes and skin were a pale blue, and her touch was as cold as she looked. Perhaps she was a vila, though her long hair was more colorless than blond. It seemed to float behind her as if blown by a nonexistent wind.Â
âThank you,â Cordelia responded politely, then remembered that gratitude was not an emotion understood by the fae. She waited nervously as the faerie considered her.Â
âYou are younger than the others,â the faerie finally said.Â
âYes.âÂ
âI am much older than those who remain. Older than Ares, older than Taara, older than Titania, older even than Num and Nga, whose greed cast us out,â the faerie whispered in almost a sing-song soprano.Â
âOh?â Cordelia looked around urgently, hoping Marisol would realize that she had been left behind.Â
âDo not fear, child. I mean you no harm. I have sent a look-alike ahead to mask our little conversation.âÂ
Cordelia gulped. Sirens were generally immune to all but the most powerful of fae magicks. For this slender faerie to have cast such a spell meant she was quite powerful indeed. âWhy did you want to speak with me?â Cordelia was honestly surprised at being singled out, and didnât feel at all relieved by the faerieâs assertion that she didnât intend Cordelia harm.Â
âI want to give you a welcome-gift. A gift that only one such as I can give. A gift freely given.âÂ
ââBeware the gifts of the fae,ââ Cordelia quoted without thinking, then gasped.
But the faerie only smiled. âFairly said. But this is a gift of truth. You value true-telling, no?âÂ
âI thought the fae couldnât lie,â Cordelia said.Â
âWe canât, but truth is more than just the absence of lies, is it not? Truth is pure and brilliant and hard like a diamond. Real truth shines like a jewel and pulses from your heart. I think that you are one who would value truth.â The faerie tapped Cordeliaâs chest gently, and she felt the ice of the vilaâs hand sink deeply to circulate through her body, like frozen blood. The sound of her own pulse throbbed in her ears.Â
âDiamonds are also sharp,â Cordelia murmured.Â
âAbsolute truth is sharp, but would you rather live in a fog of unknowing? Of deception woven out of misdirection and obfuscation? Would you remain ignorant?â
And here the faerie touched upon her weakness. Indeed, Cordelia hated feeling so stupid. So unqualified. Having to pretend to understand what she didnât. Knowing she didnât even know the right questions to ask to gain the understanding that might make her less of a fraud. âWhat truthdo you have to share?â she asked hesitantly.Â
âThe truth of our existence here. I will let you feel what we feel, amplified perhaps, like sunlight refracted through diamonds. But only for a brief spell, instead of an eternity.â Suddenly, the thin faerie disappeared into an explosion of icy wind that whipped through the trees, surrounding Cordelia in a shroud of freezing mist.Â
A soft keening began at the edge of the clearing, growing in volume and intensity until Cordelia had to cover her ears against the sound. It was so painful that Cordelia didnât even realize she was crying until she felt herself gasping for air, then noticed the hot wetness of her tears dripping onto her knees. She didnât know when she had dropped to the ground, or how long she had huddled there.Â
While her heart should have been pounding under the strain, it seemed to beat in an ever-slower tempo. Cordelia felt the clenching of her heart-muscle as it tried to contract, and each second was an agony of fiery cold as her chest tried to rise. This must be what humans feel when they drown, she thought. Cordelia panted, but still couldnât get enough air.Â
The oppressive weight that had knocked her down and compressed her into herself gradually dissipated, until only the shocking memory of pain lingered. It was an odd feeling: Not relief or euphoria, but an absolute ennui. Cordelia had never notcared about anything before. But in that moment, Cordelia didnât care if she died or if the pain started again or if she just stayed frozen on the wet ground forever. She just didnât care.Â
Then she felt a touch of ice on her forehead, breaking the spell. A soft voice whispered in her ear: âTruth.â
If it's true, as Tolstoy said, that every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way, then adding magick to the equation complicates matters even further. Take Amy Bant: one of four Bant siblings and a main character in Laura Engelhardt's expansive and impressive urban fantasy novel Sirens Unbound (Book 1 of the Fifth Mage War). Amy, an accomplished Harvard neurosurgeon, has developed an experimental operation to fix magical blindness among mages for the powerful Danjou enclave. Her father died when she was young, and her mother passed away soon after. Amy's other siblings include Cordelia, an agoraphobic underwater photographer; Thomas, a playboy with a Brazilian tourism business; and Mary, a choir director with a truth-teller husband who works for the government. Except for...a lot of that information is false.
Cordelia and Thomas are actually sirens--magical constructs with the ability to transfer human fertility to the fae to avert faerie extinction. Sirens are bound by an inherited restrictive blood-geas: humans (or "mundanes") are unaware of the existence of sirens, and sirens are unable to reveal themselves. Hence, Cordelia and Thomas' lies. Worst of all, Amy's mother Mira isn't really dead; her siren transition was just complicated and unwieldy enough to prevent contact with her human daughters.
The sirens have been bound since the Third Mage War, and much of Engelhardt's novel is concerned with the Fifth--focusing equally on politics and main players. Cordelia is involved in the Atlantic siren government and advocates for freeing the fae, who have been imprisoned and weakened by land salted with iron and steel at the hands of the mages. Thomas saves the bound mage Kyoko from her life-sucking vampire captor Gerel, a mission with grave consequences. While Amy and Mary's husband Mike are both involved with the Danjou enclave, Mira is trying to interpret an oracle's premonition about how the Fifth Mage War will be won. The results depend on the intervention of certain people, called pivots, but who are they?
Engelhardt has constructed a wonderfully engaging world with plenty of intriguing magical and political elements, particularly the fascinating desire/repulsion dynamic between sirens and humans. Sirens Unbound is also a great family story about fraught relationships and painful secrets. I did wish that we spent more time with the fae and that the ending was more of a climax, but there's tons of room for that in sequels. Especially with a war inevitably brewing.