Unseelie

By: Ivelisse Housman

Narrated by: Elena Rey

The start of a swoony, high-energy duology that Emily Lloyd-Jones, author of The Bone Houses, calls “reminiscent of classic fairytales yet brimming with a charm all its own.”

“A world of glimmering fae that sparkles with mystery, adventure, and enchantment.” —Andrew Joseph White, New York Times bestselling author of Hell Followed with Us

Iselia “Seelie” Graygrove looks just like her twin, Isolde…but as an autistic changeling left in the human world by the fae as an infant, she has always known she is different. Seelie’s unpredictable magic makes it hard for her to fit in—and draws her and Isolde into the hunt for a fabled treasure. In a heist gone wrong, the sisters make some unexpected allies and find themselves unraveling a mystery that has its roots in the history of humans and fae alike.

Both sisters soon discover that the secrets of the faeries may be more valuable than any pile of gold and jewels. But can Seelie harness her magic in time to protect her sister and herself?

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

“Housman’s stunning debut is the sort of love letter only an autistic author could write. Fae canon has been waiting for this one.” —H.E. Edgmon, author of The Witch King

Need more stories like this!

Beautiful fantasy story filled with magic, quests, angst, and autism representation. A great escape. Looking forward to the sequel.

#AA

We absolutely love this story! When can I get book 2!! I am autistic as are my 3 daughters and my sister! We all love this book! We have now listened to it 3 times in a row! I feel this is to become a hyper focus for our family!!! We can’t wait to see what happen with this band of friends! The main character is just like us and we love it! Thank you so much for keeping it pg as the scenes in many teen books gives us the Ickks! Thank you so much for a book our family can obsess over! 10 stars from us! 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

Autistic MC!!! 💕

“Unseelie” is an own voices fantasy that plays off the idea that the stories of “changelings” are the medieval records of children with autism.
Seelie is a changeling child, who’s mother went into the fairy realm to retrieve her human child, and claimed both children as her own. Raised as twins, Seelie and her human counterpart, Isolde, go on the run when Seelie loses control of her fairy magic and accidentally 💀 someone who was selling changeling poison. They become thieves to survive, planning to steal enough so that they can move with their family somewhere they can start a new life together, but things go wrong when they attempt to rob an enchanter’s home at the same time as another pair of thieves. The four are forced to team up when a cursed compass embeds itself in Seelie’s hand, and they have to work together to find a legendary treasure.

I really liked how Seelie was portrayed. The entire book is told from her perspective, so she explains the sensations she feels and the way she thinks, and it’s a very beautiful portrayal of autism. I also really liked the relationship between the sisters, how Isolde understands Seelie and tries to help her regulate while also giving her whatever space she needs to process. Raze and Olumanie were also quite fun, though you have more time with Raze than Olumanie. I liked seeing how they ultimately accept her for herself, and help her accept her fairy magic.
It was a highly enjoyable read, and I definitely recommend it!

A fresh fairy tale

I liked how this story was like a new fairy tale, not a rehashing of the same story over and over, and not a “modern” fairy tale in a contemporary setting. But rather, a “traditional” fairytale in a traditional fairy tale setting, but written from a modern and fresh perspective. I especially liked how Seelie was portrayed as autistic, having an author who is actually autistic write the character makes such a big difference.

Amazing!!

This book is absolutely amazing. Not just with its representation, but story, and world building as well! I also love the characters. They are my children now.