Desdemona and the Deep was the eerily but beautifully weird faerie book I've been searching for all year. I've been tricked time and again by the promise of the twisted world of the fae (or "gentry" as their counterparts are known here) and each time it hasn't lived up to the claim. But this book, with its goblins and world petal and kingdoms of twilight and midnight, set in a pseudo-1920's, was just lovely.

Its lead, Desdemona, is living a lush life as the daughter of a wealthy mining family. Her mother's charging ahead with the women's suffrage movement while her father leads a life apart with his mistress. On the surface, I expected this book to follow Desdemona as she changes from the "spoiled daughter" she's described as in the synopsis to learning the value of the world. But, that's not quite what happened.

Immediately, Cooney shows us the world of the wealthy and contrasts it with the poor workers dying as they try to keep the upper class in their current situation. But I wasn't as intrigued by the world at this point as I was by Desdemona and her best friend Chaz. First, their dynamic makes it very clear that Desdemona is the bossy one but Chaz, I think, lets her. While Chaz isn't present for a good chunk of the story, I found their character arc the most satisfying in terms of the way it came full circle, but better. I don't want to fully claim that Chaz was a trans character in this book because I don't feel qualified to say so (and I tried finding if the author mentioned anything but was unsuccessful), but Chaz does transition pronouns (among other things) over the course of the book and I really enjoyed seeing Chaz accept the person they were meant to be. [spoiler]Chaz (referred to as "he" in the beginning) cross-dresses and is described as taking on either gender role (normalized in this world), but later on when he enters the worlds beneath, her body is transformed into that of a woman and it's described as a natural and rightful transition (there is also a transition in pronouns at this point in the story). [/spoiler]

Desdemona didn't disappoint either. Her growth as a character takes on a bit of a different form. I didn't really understand her motives at the beginning of the story. She's portrayed as truly spoiled and her initial decision leading to her descent into the worlds beneath made little sense to me with her personality and actions. Then she travels below to the kingdom of the gentry and is forced to face some of her truths, for her matter-of-fact demanding nature does not serve her well among these creatures of fairy tales. I truly didn't expect her transformation, as it was, to be so drastic but it was well suited at the same time. Her task becomes about more than saving mortals; she must discover who she truly is as well.

And if you think this review is convoluted so far, just read the book! But it's an almost vagueness that works and makes Desdemona and the Deep a modern dark fairy tale that doesn't pull punches. You won't find fairy princesses in sparkling pink ballgowns, but you might find a goblin princess in a cage. Or a golem-creature brought to life and attempting to dream a world into being. Perhaps a young woman with a few extra tales, accepting that perhaps the life of a wealthy mining family isn't what she wants.

Somehow, in the span of a couple hundred pages, Cooney creates 3 distinct realms filled with creatures from dreams and nightmares, struggling to survive in balance with each other. It wasn't until after I finished Desdemona and the Deep that I realized it was third in a series of novellas, with each book focusing on a different set of characters (though it looks like the first book protagonists make a cameo in this one). I'm sure I missed some of the "easter eggs" hidden within this book but I still thoroughly enjoyed it on its own.

Well. I didn't expect to have so much to say about this novella but there you go. If you're a fan of twisted fairy tales and darker faerie-type stories with goblins and other unusual creatures, then you definitely want to pick this book up!

Desdemona of the Deep is the perfect novella for anyone craving a dark, creepy, fairy story. It’s about a girl named Desdemona, who is the daughter of a rich mining baron. When Desdemona learns that her father made a deal with the fae to exchange the lives of some miners to ensure his success, Desdemona goes on a journey to save the miner’s lives.

The prose is stunning, the imagery and world is lush and full of beauty. It’s definitely worth checking out.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.