Format: E-Galley, 384 pages
Release Date: December 6, 2016
Publisher: Harper Voyager Impulse
Source: Edelweiss
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Following the events of Elixir, Mabily “Mab” Jones’ life has returned to normal. Or as normal as life can be for a changeling, who also happens to be a private detective working her first independent case, and dating a half-fey.
But then a summons to return to the fairy world arrives in the form of a knife on her pillow. And in the process of investigating her case, Mab discovers the fairies are stealing joy-producing chemicals directly from the minds of humans in order to manufacture their magic Elixir, the dwindling source of their powers. Worst of all, Mab’s boyfriend Obadiah vows to abstain from Elixir, believing the benefits are not worth the cost in human suffering—even though he knows fairies can’t long survive without their magic.
Mab soon realizes she has no choice but to answer the summons and return to the Vale. But the deeper she is drawn into the machinations of the realm, the more she becomes ensnared by promises she made in the past. And in trying to do the right thing, Mab will face her most devastating betrayal yet, one that threatens everything and everyone she holds most dear.
Unveiled, by author Ruth Vincent, is the second installment in the Changeling PI series. Private Investigator & Changeling Mabily Jones has spent the past 8 months not dealing with issues that need to be dealt. It is now time to deal with them whether she likes it or not. Her mother, the fairy queen, wants Mab to take the reigns and become Queen. There are still hundreds of human children who were stolen from their homes over the years being held in the Vale. And, the Elixir drought is killing fairies, and may also be affecting her half-human, half-fairy boyfriend Odadiah.
After being approached by a mother whose daughter, Quinn has lost all interest in things, and dropped out of school after being with a stranger, Mab is given the job by her boss Reggie Ruggiero to find an answer to helping the girl regain her passion for life. It becomes apparent that something awful has happened to the girl, and that leaves Mab struggling to find out who was responsible, and how many others may have been affected as well. But, before all that is sussed out, Mab has a date with her mother and the Vale.
The story actually begins with Mab finding a blade that can cut a way from one world to the Vale under her pillow. While dealing with Quinn's case puts a bit of a hold on the traveling to the Vale, Mab and Obadiah do make the trip only to discover that things are much worse than she could have imagined. The Elixir is the key to most all of Mab's problems. It means tracking down the Fairy who is responsible for stealing a key element to humans happiness. It means accepting her fate, while also giving back to humanity that has been taken advantage of for centuries by the fairies.
Mab is a character who is truly honest in her desire to help others. She's spent twenty plus years living as a Changeling in the human world, and has no desire to return to the Vale where she will leave her parents, her best friend Eva, or her job behind. She finds ways to solve each case individually, even if it means putting her own life on the line to ensure that those in harms way are taken care of.
I said while I was reading this book. Mab's relationship with her mother was one that I was surprised to find actually shined. I liked that they were able to put past misdeeds behind them and work together to solve the Elixir issue, and find the fairy responsible for human suffering. I love Mab's relationship with Eva. It's nice to see that Eva has come into her own even after forgetting about her past journey to the Vale. I'm glad that the romance between Mab & Obie isn't overdone to take away from the storylines. I am even hopeful that Obie and Mab's mom will continue their detente now that it's apparent he's not going to leave Mab any time soon.
