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Changeling P.I. #1
Elixir
Mabily "Mab" Jones is just a twenty-something, over-educated, under-employed New Yorker trying to survive as a private eye's unpaid intern . . . or is she? Once a powerful fairy, but tricked by the Fairy Queen into human form, Mab is forced to face her changeling past when investigating a missing person case at a modern speakeasy.
Obadiah Savage bootlegs fairy Elixir to human customers thirsting for a magical fix. But when Mab and Obadiah become joint suspects in a crime they didn't commit, the only way to prove their innocence is to travel back to the fairy realm. And when Mab confronts the Fairy Queen and learns the depth of her betrayal, she must decide if the fate of the fey world is worth destroying the lives of the humans she's come to love.
- GenresUrban FantasyFantasyFae
371 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2016
11 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
About the author
Ruth Vincent
28 books22 followersRuth Vincent is an author of the Changeling P.I. fantasy series, published by HarperVoyager Impulse. She recently released an interactive fiction game, Changeling Charade (like a choose-your-own-adventure story, but for adults!) with Heart's Choice Games. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Oxford University, Ruth also works on the operations side of Broadway and TV. She lives on Long Island with her family and a cockatoo who thinks he's a dog.
Learn more at www.ruthvincent.com
Learn more at www.ruthvincent.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 20, 2016
Mabily Jones is a recent college graduate with a degree in anthropology and is looking for an intern position with a PI firm. She's also a Changeling, a fae child made human and cut off from magic and then swapped for a human child. Apparently the Faerie Queen has sent her on a mission to the human world to find out what is causing the Elixir drought in Faerie. Elixir is the source of magic in the Faerie world and without it the fae die. However, Mab feels betrayed by the Queen because she's been cut off from her magic and has had no contact since.
And then Mab's trial case with the PI firm turns out to involve Faerie and Elixir.
This is a valiant effort, but it doesn't really hang together and lacks the tight plotting and world-building that more successful UF novels pull off. The level of lightness in the approach doesn't mesh well with the stakes (stolen children meeting a horrible fate and Mab's best friend as a hostage) and Mab's allies and enemies are far too black and white with almost no nuance in any of them.
There's rich veins of mythology that any story about Faerie can draw from, either in terms of English fairy stories, Irish mythology or even things like Peter Pan. Other than a brief nod to changelings and fetches this book ignores all of that and introduces this Elixir concept that's not even self-consistently used in this one book.
Overall, I thought the premise had promise, but this isn't a great execution of it.
And then Mab's trial case with the PI firm turns out to involve Faerie and Elixir.
This is a valiant effort, but it doesn't really hang together and lacks the tight plotting and world-building that more successful UF novels pull off. The level of lightness in the approach doesn't mesh well with the stakes (stolen children meeting a horrible fate and Mab's best friend as a hostage) and Mab's allies and enemies are far too black and white with almost no nuance in any of them.
There's rich veins of mythology that any story about Faerie can draw from, either in terms of English fairy stories, Irish mythology or even things like Peter Pan. Other than a brief nod to changelings and fetches this book ignores all of that and introduces this Elixir concept that's not even self-consistently used in this one book.
Overall, I thought the premise had promise, but this isn't a great execution of it.
December 4, 2019
Interesting concept, poor execution. The prose is repetitive and the characters are one note and juvenile. I like fae inspired urban fantasy, this one is just poorly done. It's not terrible, more of a resounding meh.
May 13, 2016
3.5/5
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I love all the novels with a topic related to faes so when I saw the release of this novel, I could not help but get into the story. How can you resist this mix with an investigation that seemed really interesting?
We therefore discover Mab, a young fae woman who finds herself locked in a human body after the painful betrayal of her queen. But now, our heroine had learned to love her new world and hopes to earn a living, and for that to work for a private investigator. Her first case will lead her in a place that will completely change everything and will link her to her past she thought forgotten. Indeed, a young woman has disappeared and she seems to have been last seen in a bar where Mab must go to check that with the manager. But then, this is not a bar like any other and Obadiah, the owner, sells an « Elixir, » a drink taken from the fey world so humans could be able to find a magical solution to their problems. Alas, this aid could bring more problems than solutions … This is also in this situation that our heroes will find themselves suspected of a crime they have not committed. Thus they will be propelled in faerie where Mab will discover the truth about her origins and what is really happening there and thus have to make a choice regarding what she really desires to do.
I enjoyed the novel even though I found that it lacked of a little something, it might be a bit long at times, a lack of action or events but it was still a pleasant first volume to discover. We can observe an attraction between the two protagonists but I found it lacked of a little spice, and I have not always adhered to their relationship. However, in terms of the faes, their history, their secrets, I found that the author had some very interesting ideas and I’m curious to find out more now. As for the characters, Mab is rather naive but will soon evolve during the story. Regarding Obadiah, even if it’s an intriguing character I confess that I did not necessarily have a very good connection with him. As I said a lot of ideas but a lack of some important points. In any case it was a good surprise and I’m curious for the sequel.
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I love all the novels with a topic related to faes so when I saw the release of this novel, I could not help but get into the story. How can you resist this mix with an investigation that seemed really interesting?
We therefore discover Mab, a young fae woman who finds herself locked in a human body after the painful betrayal of her queen. But now, our heroine had learned to love her new world and hopes to earn a living, and for that to work for a private investigator. Her first case will lead her in a place that will completely change everything and will link her to her past she thought forgotten. Indeed, a young woman has disappeared and she seems to have been last seen in a bar where Mab must go to check that with the manager. But then, this is not a bar like any other and Obadiah, the owner, sells an « Elixir, » a drink taken from the fey world so humans could be able to find a magical solution to their problems. Alas, this aid could bring more problems than solutions … This is also in this situation that our heroes will find themselves suspected of a crime they have not committed. Thus they will be propelled in faerie where Mab will discover the truth about her origins and what is really happening there and thus have to make a choice regarding what she really desires to do.
I enjoyed the novel even though I found that it lacked of a little something, it might be a bit long at times, a lack of action or events but it was still a pleasant first volume to discover. We can observe an attraction between the two protagonists but I found it lacked of a little spice, and I have not always adhered to their relationship. However, in terms of the faes, their history, their secrets, I found that the author had some very interesting ideas and I’m curious to find out more now. As for the characters, Mab is rather naive but will soon evolve during the story. Regarding Obadiah, even if it’s an intriguing character I confess that I did not necessarily have a very good connection with him. As I said a lot of ideas but a lack of some important points. In any case it was a good surprise and I’m curious for the sequel.
May 18, 2016
Recently, I read an interview with the author of this debut novel, Ruth Vincent. She said that her book is an answer to the darkness so prevalent in modern fantasy. She said she tried to make her story light and humorous – so of course, I had to read it. I like light and humorous.
I must confess: it’s not as light as I thought. There is lots of darkness in the story although there is some humor too. But mostly, the tale struck me as juvenile. In the book, the heroine is 22 years old but she acts like a much younger girl. I’d put her emotional maturity on the level of 15. She blunders all the time, forgets important stuff, and doesn’t plan ahead. The entire book seems written by a high-school kid. A talented kid but a kid all the same, lacking life experience as well as writing experience.
The good writing, the original plot, and the unusual characters somewhat make up for the other faults of this book. The heroine Mab is a shy and awkward college graduate in Manhattan, but that’s not all she is. In truth, she is a fairy, a changeling in a human body. She doesn’t have her magic anymore but she has a mission. Fairyland is suffering from a draught of Elixir, the substance that powers fairy magic. With Elixir on the wane, fairies are suffering and dying, their magic ebbing away, and the Fairy Queen charged Mab with the task to find out if anything could be done in the human world to restore Elixir to the fairies.
There is a romantic line in the story between Mab and Obadiah, a mysterious nightclub owner who smuggles Elixir out of Fairyland as a hobby. There is also a criminal investigation involved, and the brutal actions of the Fairy Queen, who is trying to save her realm at the expense of the human world. Mab has to deal with the Queen’s betrayal and her own disillusionment as she searches for her identity. Is she a human? Is she a fairy? Where does her allegiance lie?
Overall, I derived a moderate pleasure out of reading this book. It would be an OK book if it didn’t end in a cliffhanger. Unfortunately, it did. Nothing is resolved by the end, and the main conflict, the lack of Elixir, is as keen as it was on the first page. I dislike cliffhangers and I doubt I’ll read the next book by this author.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can read an interview with Ruth Vincent here.
I must confess: it’s not as light as I thought. There is lots of darkness in the story although there is some humor too. But mostly, the tale struck me as juvenile. In the book, the heroine is 22 years old but she acts like a much younger girl. I’d put her emotional maturity on the level of 15. She blunders all the time, forgets important stuff, and doesn’t plan ahead. The entire book seems written by a high-school kid. A talented kid but a kid all the same, lacking life experience as well as writing experience.
The good writing, the original plot, and the unusual characters somewhat make up for the other faults of this book. The heroine Mab is a shy and awkward college graduate in Manhattan, but that’s not all she is. In truth, she is a fairy, a changeling in a human body. She doesn’t have her magic anymore but she has a mission. Fairyland is suffering from a draught of Elixir, the substance that powers fairy magic. With Elixir on the wane, fairies are suffering and dying, their magic ebbing away, and the Fairy Queen charged Mab with the task to find out if anything could be done in the human world to restore Elixir to the fairies.
There is a romantic line in the story between Mab and Obadiah, a mysterious nightclub owner who smuggles Elixir out of Fairyland as a hobby. There is also a criminal investigation involved, and the brutal actions of the Fairy Queen, who is trying to save her realm at the expense of the human world. Mab has to deal with the Queen’s betrayal and her own disillusionment as she searches for her identity. Is she a human? Is she a fairy? Where does her allegiance lie?
Overall, I derived a moderate pleasure out of reading this book. It would be an OK book if it didn’t end in a cliffhanger. Unfortunately, it did. Nothing is resolved by the end, and the main conflict, the lack of Elixir, is as keen as it was on the first page. I dislike cliffhangers and I doubt I’ll read the next book by this author.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can read an interview with Ruth Vincent here.
June 7, 2016
This isn't a book about high stakes or huge drama--it's a cozy urban fantasy with a sweet romance. Really, that's just what I needed during a high-stress week. Mab is a very sympathetic heroine--a fairy forced to become human--and it was a joy to read about her. This novel reads fast and it feels like I had only a brief peak into a vast and fascinating world. I can't wait for the next one!
May 13, 2017
With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Mabily Jones has been trapped as a human for 22 years after being betrayed by the Fairy Queen. Once a powerful fairy, Mab is now just a regular girl trying to make her way in New York City. The story opens with her applying to be an unpaid intern with a private eye. Despite the series' title, the "P.I." angle doesn't seem to hold much sway on the over all plot, save to get her to a club where a young woman has gone missing. When she arrives, she discovers that this is no normal club, but a place frequented by fae. It's run by a roguishly dark and handsome man named Obadiah Savage who, unsurprisingly, has some secrets. The two are forced to work together when they are seemingly framed for murder. The only way to clear their name and get to the bottom of the bigger mysteries that bind them to the Fairy Queen and Elixir -- the liquid that gives humans a high, but is the very life of the fairy realm -- is to travel to the very realm that Mab was evicted from. Mab must deal with the reality of a Fairy Queen who lied to her and has been stealing children from the human realm -- and who holds an even bigger secret that could shatter everything Mab believes.
The elements of the plot have the potential to be very dark, but Vincent succeeds in not falling into that trap, particularly with Savage, the obligatory love interest. Savage has the dark and brooding sexy thing going on and Mab's attractive is instant, but we quickly find out -- if we trust Mab's gut feeling -- that he's a guy with reasonably good intentions. The character isn't dragged through the paths of dark secrets and potential betrayals, allowing Mab's focus to remain on her mission as she learns more about the Fairy Queen's antics.
The plot also has the potential to dig more deeply into fae mythology, but Vincent only gives this a cursory nod. When Mab crosses back into the home of her birth, the world building falls flat. What ought to be a wonderous place of magic, feels like a movie set where I can too often see behind the scenes and know that it's not real. The writing as a whole has this problem, skirting along to touch on the various urban fantasy points of interest, without really giving them enough attention or enough uniqueness.
When the book hits its climax, I found that I was not as invested as I wanted to be. I liked that the story was not the typical dark storytelling we often find, but the revelations did not seem to weigh as heavily as they should have, mainly because Mab spends so much time telling us how she feels instead of being allowed to show it, a problem that can come from the choice to write in first person.
Overall, an interesting start to a new series, but I hope that the "changling" and "P.I." part of the series takes on greater relevance in the future to bring more meat to the plot.
www.bibliosanctum.com
Mabily Jones has been trapped as a human for 22 years after being betrayed by the Fairy Queen. Once a powerful fairy, Mab is now just a regular girl trying to make her way in New York City. The story opens with her applying to be an unpaid intern with a private eye. Despite the series' title, the "P.I." angle doesn't seem to hold much sway on the over all plot, save to get her to a club where a young woman has gone missing. When she arrives, she discovers that this is no normal club, but a place frequented by fae. It's run by a roguishly dark and handsome man named Obadiah Savage who, unsurprisingly, has some secrets. The two are forced to work together when they are seemingly framed for murder. The only way to clear their name and get to the bottom of the bigger mysteries that bind them to the Fairy Queen and Elixir -- the liquid that gives humans a high, but is the very life of the fairy realm -- is to travel to the very realm that Mab was evicted from. Mab must deal with the reality of a Fairy Queen who lied to her and has been stealing children from the human realm -- and who holds an even bigger secret that could shatter everything Mab believes.
The elements of the plot have the potential to be very dark, but Vincent succeeds in not falling into that trap, particularly with Savage, the obligatory love interest. Savage has the dark and brooding sexy thing going on and Mab's attractive is instant, but we quickly find out -- if we trust Mab's gut feeling -- that he's a guy with reasonably good intentions. The character isn't dragged through the paths of dark secrets and potential betrayals, allowing Mab's focus to remain on her mission as she learns more about the Fairy Queen's antics.
The plot also has the potential to dig more deeply into fae mythology, but Vincent only gives this a cursory nod. When Mab crosses back into the home of her birth, the world building falls flat. What ought to be a wonderous place of magic, feels like a movie set where I can too often see behind the scenes and know that it's not real. The writing as a whole has this problem, skirting along to touch on the various urban fantasy points of interest, without really giving them enough attention or enough uniqueness.
When the book hits its climax, I found that I was not as invested as I wanted to be. I liked that the story was not the typical dark storytelling we often find, but the revelations did not seem to weigh as heavily as they should have, mainly because Mab spends so much time telling us how she feels instead of being allowed to show it, a problem that can come from the choice to write in first person.
Overall, an interesting start to a new series, but I hope that the "changling" and "P.I." part of the series takes on greater relevance in the future to bring more meat to the plot.
www.bibliosanctum.com
February 7, 2017
Mabily Jones, better known as Mab, is plain, but her deepest secret reveals a mysterious edge, adding a sexy side to her character. Always the keen observer, Mab's longing for justice gives the reader someone to root for and someone to connect with. An internship with Reggie, a private investigator, leads to an interview with Obadiah Savage at his unusual night-club. Things just aren't what they appear, or are they? Obadiah is manly but vulnerable, and the reader hardly critiques his bootlegging pastime of selling fairy Elixir, since he's loyal and incredibly fun. Twists and turns take the reader to another realm, one full of fairies, magic, passion, and deceit. When Mab confronts the Fairy Queen, her bravery shines through, along with her determination to do the right thing. Let's just say, the reader is left pining for book #2.
*Thanks to Harper Voyager Impulse for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
*Thanks to Harper Voyager Impulse for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 8, 2016
I'm excited to get back to this one. The main character is different than the typical UF heroine in that she is shy and a bit under confident. At first I thought that wasn't going to work for me, but by the end of the first chapter, I already liked her a lot. This missing persons case sounds interesting and I think this will be a fun new series.
May 18, 2016
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.0
*Full Review Pending*
Published May 3rd 2016 by Harper Voyager Impulse
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.0
*Full Review Pending*
Published May 3rd 2016 by Harper Voyager Impulse
October 3, 2017
Urban fantasy has been a mainstream genre long enough that cliches have developed, and this one appears to grab all of them.
Genres are to a certain extent defined by cliches but it's usually nice if something creative is done with them. I didn't see any particular innovation applied here. The author chose Celtic myths as the basis for the "fantasy" part of urban fantasy and the main character is a changeling. Unfortunately Mab (said changeling) is everything I hate about a protagonist; she is constantly the most uninformed person in the room, appears to have no skills that recommend her for any particular role, and she rarely, if ever, thinks through her plans. She just barrels through the story and her survival is based on either luck or secondary characters keeping her alive specifically because she's part of some plot or scheme that she herself is totally oblivious to.
This book had absolutely no surprises for me. All of the characters behaved exactly as I expected them to based on when and how they were introduced. Likewise the story had no interesting twists or dodges that I couldn't see coming.
In short, my opinion is that this has been done better by other people. The book isn't horribly written or structured, but it's nothing new. If one gets hooked by any of the characters it's worth following, but none of them grabbed my interest.
Genres are to a certain extent defined by cliches but it's usually nice if something creative is done with them. I didn't see any particular innovation applied here. The author chose Celtic myths as the basis for the "fantasy" part of urban fantasy and the main character is a changeling. Unfortunately Mab (said changeling) is everything I hate about a protagonist; she is constantly the most uninformed person in the room, appears to have no skills that recommend her for any particular role, and she rarely, if ever, thinks through her plans. She just barrels through the story and her survival is based on either luck or secondary characters keeping her alive specifically because she's part of some plot or scheme that she herself is totally oblivious to.
This book had absolutely no surprises for me. All of the characters behaved exactly as I expected them to based on when and how they were introduced. Likewise the story had no interesting twists or dodges that I couldn't see coming.
In short, my opinion is that this has been done better by other people. The book isn't horribly written or structured, but it's nothing new. If one gets hooked by any of the characters it's worth following, but none of them grabbed my interest.
June 16, 2017
After reading the blurb on this one I thought it might work for me, sounded interesting and had a character with a fantastic name, Obadiah Savage. I made it about 60 pages before giving it up. What didn't work for me was Obadiah and Mab meeting. They each knew a lot, but not what the other did. The animosity between them drove me nuts, as did how Mab didn't want to even contemplate what Obadiah was telling her. Once Mab told Obadiah that she came to the human world to find out if humans were causing the elixir drought I didn't care any more, these two were just too much. In the end this one wasn't for me.
January 3, 2021
This is an exceptional book. so good very romantic and what a great paranormal ride love the fay world. like a great fairytale. so much fun and mystery rolled in one. Could not wait to read Book Two.
Loved the Characters worried about them.
Loved the Characters worried about them.
May 12, 2019
I really enjoyed this book !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2016
Mabily Jones is a changeling - a fairy in human form who was switched with a human child. She's also a young twenty something trying to navigate early adulthood, including careers and relationships. In the beginning of the novel, she lands an internship with a P.I. firm. On her first assignment, she is sent to a secret club in search of a missing girl. At the club, she meets an intriguing man, named Obadiah, who also has a connection to the fairy world.
I enjoyed this novel. It was a fun urban fantasy with elements of romance. I could relate to Mab as she tried to find her place in the world. Elements that I especially enjoyed were the New York setting, close female friendship, and Obadiah and his old school ways. However, there were some aspects that I didn't find as compelling. The book travels to fairy world at one point and this setting wasn't as developed as New York, possibly because I had no reference point for it. In general, I would have enjoyed more building of the fantasy aspects. I was also left with a few questions that I hope the sequel will answer regarding the fairy world and the motivations of the characters in it. The actions of the book's antagonist seemed too extreme to make her a nuanced character, but I'm hoping when we see more in the sequel, this will be more developed as well.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun urban fantasy.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review*
I enjoyed this novel. It was a fun urban fantasy with elements of romance. I could relate to Mab as she tried to find her place in the world. Elements that I especially enjoyed were the New York setting, close female friendship, and Obadiah and his old school ways. However, there were some aspects that I didn't find as compelling. The book travels to fairy world at one point and this setting wasn't as developed as New York, possibly because I had no reference point for it. In general, I would have enjoyed more building of the fantasy aspects. I was also left with a few questions that I hope the sequel will answer regarding the fairy world and the motivations of the characters in it. The actions of the book's antagonist seemed too extreme to make her a nuanced character, but I'm hoping when we see more in the sequel, this will be more developed as well.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun urban fantasy.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review*
December 1, 2016
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
I enjoyed the writing style and premise of the book. I didn't like the main character's inability to solve problems on her own.
To read a more detailed review of Elixir, please visit my blog: Books That Hook
I enjoyed the writing style and premise of the book. I didn't like the main character's inability to solve problems on her own.
To read a more detailed review of Elixir, please visit my blog: Books That Hook
November 15, 2016
Good one, I enjoyed this book!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews