Good day! Before anything else, I would like to extend my deepest, sincerest gratitude for sending me a digital review copy of this book (via NetGalley). Thank you very much for the opportunity!

Unfortunately, I am sad to say that I have lost interest in this particular title, and consequently, I have decided against finishing it. Forcing myself to finish a book I am disinterested in (solely for the sake of finishing it) can only negatively impact the entirety of my reading experience, which, in turn, could result in me writing an unfairly negative review. That is a circumstance I hope to avoid. With that said, I believe that the best course of action is for me to simply not read it and to refrain from publicly posting any feedback regarding this book.

I hope you understand where I'm coming from. Again, thank you for the lovely opportunity!

This entire series has charmed me--fairies tucked away in rural Appalachia. This story, about a lost town, is well plotted with fine characters. I totally loved it.

Note of warning THE FAIRIES OF SADIEVILLE is the very last novel in the Tufa series, so reading this book without having read the previous five novels will make it a bit hard to really understand since many events and people from the previous books will be addressed. You can read this book as a stand-alone. However, having at least read one or two books before will make this book a bit easier to understand.

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=68715

The Fairies of Sadieville is the 6th and final novel of the Tufa series by Alex Bledsoe. Published 10th April, 2018 by Tor Books, it's 368 pages and available in ebook, hardback and audiobook formats.

I had read some of the stories and other shorter fiction by the author, but hadn't read any of the Tufa books since the first one. The author's writing is exceptional and lyrical. Comparisons to Faulkner aren't amiss.

I've always been a huge fan of folklore and especially Appalachian folklore and music (I grew up in WV and my own family are mostly Irish and Scots). This book pushed all my buttons. It's liberally laced and richly interspersed with music and poetry and lyrics mined out of a rich vein of folklore.

I'm generally not too much of a fan of the plot device of alternate storylines; they generally detract instead of really building. If the author is careful to make the jumps clear enough, it's very difficult to make the jumps seamless enough to actually move the plot along in the parallel stories. Bledsoe manages, and very well. This is a story inside a story inside a story and the jumps are engineered very well.

The melancholy and dark feel of this book added to the overall longing and tension. It was deftly done. The quality of this book has inspired me to go read the earlier books. I have a huge enough pile of books to be read (TBR mountain, quips my family), that my being inspired to go back and read or re-read a series happens very very rarely. Well played, Mr. Bledsoe, well played.

Four and a half stars, rounded up for exceptionally masterful plotting and writing.

This is apparently the wrap up for this series, and although I appreciate authors who plan out how to end series instead of dragging them into the ground, I'm sad to see it go. There's nothing quite like this rural fantasy series that incorporates music and the arts into its fabric, along with a message of tolerance.

On its own, though, I don't think this was the strongest book. The novel follows a 1-2-3-2-1 formula, beginning in our present time with a young couple who are looking for a mining town (Sadieville) that seems to have disappeared into a sinkhole without a trace about a century ago. The male half of the couple is planning to use this town for his thesis, even though his area of interest is really folk music and blues. His girlfriend, working on her master's degree in parapsychology, is really more of a natural fit for this topic, but she is relegated to supportive girlfriend status- the book even lampshades this, but does not fix the problem. I think the author just wanted the folk music connection.
The second part of the book goes back to the time when Sadieville was an active mining company town, in order to show the tragedy that led to its disappearance. The middle part of the book goes back to prehistoric times and shows the Tufa that were exiled here right after they had been kicked out.
These three split parts made each part seem less weighty. The author's strength is definitely character, but with perhaps a hundred pages for each part, I never really cared about the characters he introduced. The Tufa, the characters who have been here the whole time and who I am very interested in, never get as much attention as I like, although the book is strongest with them as the focus. It's a shame that the author once again chose outside characters as a way in- we don't need that way in at this point and it just clutters the narrative with new characters that I knew I should care about, but really didn't.
In this book, the question is if the Tufa can or want to go home- back to Tig na Nog from whence they were banished. There's a lot of speculation from each character as to what they'd like, but the resolution felt anticlimactic after all that build up. I don't feel like this was the best ending point for the series, because the characters didn't really need to change or grow in this book.

A fitting end to this series, although the author could (and should) revisit the Tufa. Lovely story, lovely writing.

"This is real." Three small words on a film canister found by graduate students Justin and Veronica, who discover a long-lost silent movie from more than a century ago. The startlingly realistic footage shows a young girl transforming into a winged being. Looking for proof behind this claim, they travel to the rural foothills of Tennessee to find Sadieville, where it had been filmed.

Soon, their journey takes them to Needsville, whose residents are hesitant about their investigation, but Justin and Veronica are helped by Tucker Carding, who seems to have his own ulterior motives. When the two students unearth a secret long hidden, everyone in the Tufa community must answer the most important question of their entire lives -- what would they be willing to sacrifice in order to return to their fabled homeland of Tir na nOg?- Goodreads

I would like to put it out there that I have not read the other 5 books in the series. But when I was reading this, I didn't feel as if I was missing something or that I had to know more. Once it began, it felt a standalone and once I ended it, I didn't have a desire to go back to the previous books. 

This is not to say that this was a good a book because it was. This was a slow read but it was good none the less. You are sucked into the world and it is mainly because of Justin and Veronica even though their parts seem so small compared to the main story. The Tufa community is a complicated one that the author touches upon their contentment and happiness in the land they call their home and the idea of going back to their place of origins. What I liked about this was the author was able to touch upon the reality of what if they don't want to go? What are the consequences if you do go back? The author made this world realistic and most importantly human. Which was a key component to why I enjoyed the book so much. 

However, this book was slow. No matter how much you are sucked into the words and want to know what happens next, you can't forget how slow the book is and how nothing really happens. There is a lot of talk and a lot of background history. Because of how long you invest in the book, the ending disappoints. When something happens, you think to yourself... that's it? Granted this could be because I didn't read the first 5 books but because there is so much flash backs, that it is isn't needed. 

Overall, I did like this book much more than I thought I would. It was a realistic interpenetration of faeries living in the human world and I really liked that. 

3 Pickles

When graduate students Justin and Veronica find an old film cannister with three words on it, “This is real,” they aren’t prepared for the film inside, which shows a girl transforming into a winged fairy. Justin is desperate to find a topic for his thesis, so the two set out to find the mysterious Sadieville, a town that vanished off the face of the earth over a century ago.

In rural Tennessee, everyone seems to have secrets. Secrets that point to the Tufa, a clannish group with dark skin, dark hair, and white teeth. They all look similar and they seem to have an unusual affinity for music. But not everyone likes Justin and Veronica asking questions, although Tucker Carding seems happy to help them—for reasons unknown.

Soon, Justin and Veronica find a secret, hidden for years, that will have all the Tufa asking a question they never dreamed of: if they could go back to their homeland of Tir na nOg, would they?

I should probably say that this is the first Tufa novel I’ve read. That really didn’t matter, as I was able to follow the story/history with no problems at all. This read like smart literary fiction with a fantasy element. The setting here is tremendously well-done, with Appalachia full of living, breathing life on every page. I really enjoyed reading this, and highly recommend it!

Alex Bledsoe grew up in Tennessee and now lives in Wisconsin. He’s the author of the Eddie Lacrosse novels, the Firefly Witch novels, the Memphis Vampires novels, and the Tufa novels. His newest novel, The Fairies of Sadieville is the final Tufa novel.

(Galley provided by Tor Books in exchange for an honest review.)

I have not read the earlier books in the series, but enjoyed this book nonetheless. However, I cannot say how much more I may have understood/enjoyed it if I had read those earlier books.

The Fairies of Sadieville is announced as the end of the Tufa series. I'm sorry to see this series end, and in many ways this was a very good wrap-up. However, I was less than satisfied with the Justin and Veronica characters. I enjoyed the beginning of the novel, when we were introduced to Justin and Veronica, but felt they had become simply a means to an end as the story progressed. I found the Tucker Carding character intriguing, the manner in which he would appear to almost lure the other characters along, much like Trickster characters in various mythologies. I also found the manner in which the various Tufa characters questioned whether it was truly possible to go "home" again insightful. Overall, a satisfying end to the series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher, for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I hadn’t read any of the other books in the series, but that doesn’t matter because this is a stand alone novel. It’s an interesting take based on a actual culture of people. What if the melungeon people weren’t triracial, but fairies. Great premise. This book is the end of the series and supposedly answers all of the readers burning questions. To me that is where this failed. Justin and Veronica were cool characters, but not important to the story. Too much time was spent on them. While it is good they were fully developed characters, I could’ve done without all of their pop culture banter. Also based on their majors and areas of interest, it seems like it should’ve been Veronica doing the research and not Justin. His area of study didn’t actually align with them setting out on their adventure.

Appearances were made by characters from the other books, so I am sure readers were happy to see where their stories went after their respective HEA’s. It was also nice to learn how the fairies got here, and about their first encounters with humans. However I wish things still weren’t so vague. I get that the fairies forgot, but their memories were supposed to be in the process of being restored. So it would’ve been nice if it had been flat out said who was who and what was what. Also not enough time was spent in the fey realm. Their experiences there were brief and vague, almost dreamlike. If I had read all the books I would’ve been seriously disappointed, even as a new reader I was disappointed. This book didn’t inspire me to go back and read the previous installments in the series. But I would probably pick up whatever book this writer comes up with next.

I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley for an honest review.
What a lovely fantasy! I was unaware this was the conclusion of a series when I started reading it. This book is easily read separate from the series. I enjoyed the unraveling of the different timelines to explain the different aspects of the plot. While for some the clash between modern academia and those who live in the mountains away from “advanced” society might be unbelievable, it exists. Not only does it exist, but just as this story portrays there are underlying beliefs and superstitions. The author did a wonderful job of unveiling that culture. The Tufa story/people was intriguing and I am delighted to know I can go to the beginning of the series and get to know them more.

Another highly anticipated series entry from Alex Bledsoe that more than lived up to the anticipation. Begun with the Hum & the Shiver and concluded here, Bledsoe's Tufa series is one of the most creative and well-written modern fairy tales out there. Bledsoe beautifully wraps up the story arc of an exiled tribe of Tuatha de Danaan living in Tennessee, providing closure to a number of stories included in the earlier books. We finally learn the one story that Bledsoe has never told - the origin story of the Tufa - and it's fascinating, especially the little nugget of info from the King of Fairyland regarding the bet that landed the Tufa in Tennessee. While I am sad that this is the last in the series, I am very much looking forward to the tales Bledsoe will spin next. I highly recommend the entire series.

What a great way to wrap up this series! I really enjoyed this book but I do believe you could read it as a standalone and not missed anything from the rest of the series. There were some details from other books in the series, but it didn’t take away or add to anything in this book that would make them completely necessary. The book was fun and easy read. I devoured it in one day!
I liked that the story ended by revisiting the beginning. The pacing of the book is very fast and easy to follow along with which made it an easy finish to the series. The characters were very diverse and their interpersonal relationships were very lifelike and real.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the Fae and modern fantasy books. Thank you for allowing me access to this title!

When grad students Veronica and Justin stumble upon a taped up film roll in their late professor's office, they unwittingly trigger events that will affect the Tufa and their entire lives.

This is the end, and in a way, this book both answers all the questions I could have ever wanted about the Tufa and then posed a million more questions on top of it. I absolutely loved this series, so it's heartbreaking to see it go, but at least it had the best ending. And I'll say no more on that.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

When Justin’s beloved thesis advisor dies suddenly, it’s up to Justin to clear out his office- which is packed ceiling to floor with books, papers, tchotchkes, and boxes. One box proves to hold a short reel of ancient celluloid film. Curious, he takes it to a friend who works with such things, and they get to see what is on it. A woman sprouts wings and flies away- and the advisor has written on the reel “This is real”. So when Justin’s new advisor tells him that his proposed thesis is unacceptable to him, he decides to take a chance that researching the film will provide something unique enough to suit the advisor.

Some research tells Justin and his girlfriend, Veronica, that the film was shot in Appalachia, in a spot where an entire town disappeared instantaneously. They decide to head there to see what they can find. The tiny town of Needsville, the closest place to where Sadieville once stood, seems welcoming. A guide to where the film was shot is even provided to them.

The POV alternates between Justin & Veronica, and Sadieville before it vanished, so we get to know more than they do, but we still don’t know it all until their guide takes them to where the entrance to the Sadieville mine used to be. What they find there could not only change their lives, but the lives of everyone in Needsville.

When I requested this book, I didn’t realize that it was the end of a series of books about the Needsville area and the people there, the Tufa, but the story does manage to stand on its own. The author has managed to create a wonderful sense of place- the Appalachias have become a place I would love to see- and also a good sense of the Tufa as a people, despite not spending much time with any single one of them. I loved the combination of small town humanness mixed with Celtic fairie lore; the story presents a big question to the Tufa; do they want to stay in our world, or go back to fairie? What about their friends and lovers, and children? It’s a complex issue. Four and half stars.

Wow. What a way to end a series. The Fairies of Sadieville is the final novel in the Tufa series by Alex Bledsoe. The series as a whole focuses on the mysterious Tufa people in Cloud County, which is located in Appalachia in Tennessee. Those who know anything about the Tufa know at least one thing: They have perfect teeth. Other than that, they are a mystery. But now, we get to explore a bit of their past.

---

PLOT

Justin's MA advisor has just died. Justin was on track to receive a Master’s in English with a focus in studying folk music. Unfortunately, the head of the English department doesn’t think his thesis topic is up to snuff. Doc Adams was a highly respected man, and his loss is tragic. However, the head of the English department feels that as an advisor, he was letting Justin slide on by. Long story short, he needs to start over from scratch.

While helping to organize Doc’s very messy office, Veronica Lopez–Justin’s girlfriend–finds a 16mm film case called “The Fairies of Sadieville” with a note from Doc: “This is real.” Sadieville is practically nonexistent. How does a town just disappear without a trace? That’s what Justin decides will be his new topic of study. After getting approval, he and Veronica set forth to try and discover the secrets of Sadieville and why it was destroyed in the first place. They make their way over to Needsville, the only town in Cloud County that appears on a map. Although Veronica did look at an old map of Tennessee that one of the geography professors had and saw what looked like a town smudged off near Needsville.

Over in Cloud County, it turns out that most of them have also never heard of Sadieville. Except one woman: Miss Azure. Or Professor Azure if you will. Once she tells the Tufa First Daughters of Sadieville, the message spreads like wildfire. And soon, a deep longing for a home the Tufa have forgotten about returns. Will discovering Sadieville be the key to finding the original home of the Tufa?

STYLE

There’s a lot going on. But it all works seamlessly. The story structure has a story-in-a-story feel. Specifically, we take this path: Time A > Time B > Time C > Time B > Time A–with A being in the present, B being in the past, and C being in the very distant past, back to when even the people before the Tufa were still in the land.

I liked that. I like the idea of ending with the origin. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin does it, and it worked there. It very much works here as well. Throughout all of the Tufa novels, we’ve only caught glimpses here and there of their past. Now, we finally see the full picture.

The book moves at a very fast pace. It has a fairytale quality to the writing mixed with a bit of modern-day fantasy. To give a bit of an analogy, it’s like a watercolor painting. We still get some detail, but a lot of the lines and edges are blurred and blend together. The fast pace, for the most part, works. However, there were times when I felt things were moving a bit too quickly. I would have loved for the book to be a bit longer if only so that it could have slowed down every once in a while.

CHARACTERS & SETTING

The characters are great. Diverse, strong, and well-rounded. Our two protagonists, Justin and Veronica are an interracial couple (Justin is black; Veronica’s family is from Puerto Rico, although she herself was born in Mississippi). C.C., the owner of a cafe in Needsville, is gay. His fiancé is in New York performing on stage.

This book is all about deception and appearances. Things aren’t always what they seem. Veronica frequently does tarot card reading for herself–even getting her own thesis advisor to do one for her in the beginning of the novel. The cards often make one thing clearer but more things fuzzy. At one point, we see the actual town of Sadieville as we see the filming of “The Fairies of Sadieville”. It’s nothing to write home about. Small mining community. But the scenery is beyond amazing. Mountains, woods…everything about it screams beauty. And that’s why the director wants to film an Appalachian Romeo and Juliet moving picture there in Sadieville. We learn that some people aren’t as morally upright as they appear to be.

Or going even further back, we meet the original Tufa who first arrived in Appalachia. A young man, The Drummer, ends up falling for a young woman, Dahni, who is in line to become the leader of her people. As you might have guessed, their respective peoples do not want them near each other. This is the shortest section of the book, but it was one of the most powerful. The fairytale/folktale aspect of the novel really shines in this part.

OVERALL

I don’t want to give away too much because this is the final Tufa novel. But I do have a confession: This was only my third one. I do think it could be read as a standalone. There are a few nods at the previous books, but they are not truly essential to the plot of this book. I would personally say that you could read this by itself. However, it’s probably good to have read at least one of the previous books, just so that you can understand a bit of the references.

I flew through this book. It put on a glamour. It looks unassuming, but be warned: Once it has you, it will trap you. Like you’re under a spell or something. This book is pure magic.

[I received a digital ARC from Tor Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

The last of the Tufa books, The Fairies of Sadieville ends the series on the perfect note: slightly bittersweet, with a mix of hurt and hope and just the right amount of magic.

Many of the characters we've shared stories with over the past four books make an appearance here, giving us time to catch up a bit on what's been going on in their lives. This is perfectly meshed with the newcomers to Cloud County - two college graduate students who find a silent movie that sends them on a quest to discover what happens to Sadieville, a coal town that disappeared without (almost) a trace. As with all things Tufa, there are layers and layers to the story, which ultimately lead us all the way back to when the Tufa were exiled.

Bledsoe does an amazing amount of worldbuilding in this book, filling in the gaps for those who have long wanted to know more about the Tufa and their origins. That he does so within the confines of a new mystery simply shows his deft skill at storytelling. Everything feels organic, and the story unfolds at the perfect tempo.

It's easy for fans to want an author to write forever about a beloved series, but in Sadieville, the stories of Mandelay and Bronwyn and Rock House and Bliss don't end. They just fade away into the next track on the album.

I'm looking forward to whatever that is.

I wish I could give this like 3 1/2 stars. The premise of this book is super cool - there are these fairies living among us who were banished from their world by a vengeful queen. Two grad students find these people while working on a project to find the town Sadieville which mysteriously disappeared and no one can seem to remember. The book didn't totally get off the ground for me. I loved how the author switched between present day and historical Sadieville. The switching between time was really well done. I wanted to see what happened and the book did draw me in but I never really felt much tension and build up. When the book ended, it just kind of ended. I am not sure if I will go back and read the rest of the series, if they are a bit more exciting than this one, I just might. If you like fantasy, I think this is worth the read. It is a cool modern fantasy with a neat premise it just didn't fully take off for me.

This book was the last in the Tufa series. Reading it felt like knowing you must bid farewell to an old friend. The buildup to the somewhat surprising conclusion was filled with glimpses of characters from previous books in the series, which was a nice touch. Hoping for short stories in the future.