A sweet, funny, faerie heist with twin sisters and wonderfully nuanced side characters. I loved having an autistic protagonist and related so much to her anxiety and sensory struggles as well as appreciating how she was accepted just the way she is by her sister, her friend, and her eventual love interest. I would have liked to see more of the magical lore because it was a little confusing at the beginning, but I enjoyed seeing Seelie's journey to grow more comfortable with her magic just as she grows more comfortable with herself. This was an excellent fantasy book that will mean a lot to so many readers, and it left me wanting more - good thing there's a sequel coming.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know how I never did a review of this, since it was one of my absolute favorite reads of 2023, but here we are.

Unseelie is an #ownvoices YA fantasy book about an autistic changeling and her twin sister who travel around on their own but get drawn into a heist plot against their wills. Seelie has to learn to accept herself and gain control over her powerful faerie magic before it endangers her sister and their allies as the conflict they've been drawn into becomes larger in scope than they anticipated.

There's so much to love about this book. Seelie's relationship with her human twin, Isolde, is the emotional core of the book and works so well—the two sisters would do absolutely anything for each other. At first, it's hard for the reader to connect to their new allies, Raze and Olani, but you definitely grow to care about them as well later on, especially once Raze and Seelie's romance begins to develop. The plot is strong, the worldbuilding is so fun and feels distinct from the many other fae worlds populating recent fantasy literature.

The best thing about this book, however, is the autism representation. I teared up while reading it because I connected so much to Seelie and it felt so groundbreaking to finally see someone like me in the pages of YA fantasy, a genre I've loved for more than a decade without ever truly finding myself within its pages. Reading about Seelie's struggles with changing routines and expectations, her strong feelings for those around her, and her overstimulation meant more to me than I can ever express. It wasn't just reading about an autistic character, but an autistic female character who presents similarly to me in one of my favorite genres of all time, a genre where finally an autistic girl can be the hero.

There may have been small things that could have been improved, such as the pacing of the middle of the book or a little more worldbuilding, but those little criticisms pale so much in comparison to everything that this book does well. I cannot recommend Unseelie enough.

I forgot to leave a review for this when I first read it. I loved this fantasy so much. I thought the fae storyline was well done.

Unseelie is a dark fantasy novel by Ivelisse Housman, first published in 2021. It follows the story of a young woman named Kayla, who is drawn into the dangerous world of the Unseelie Court — a faction of the Fae that is known for being cruel, manipulative, and often malicious. In this world, the Fae are powerful and have their own complex systems of politics and court intrigue.

Kayla is no ordinary human; she has a connection to the Fae that she is only beginning to understand, which leads her into a web of alliances and enemies in both the human world and the world of the Fae. Throughout the story, she is forced to navigate a treacherous landscape of magic, deception, and power struggles, all while dealing with her own personal dilemmas and hidden secrets.

The title Unseelie refers to the dark, malevolent side of the Fae, who are often contrasted with the Seelie Court, the "lighter" side of the Fae. In Housman's story, the Unseelie Court is shown as a place where the rules are not as clear-cut, and the stakes are far more dangerous.

The novel mixes elements of urban fantasy, romance, and high-stakes adventure, and has been praised for its complex characters and world-building, particularly its exploration of morality and power dynamics.

I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would! Loved the representation of an autistic MC and the concept of a changling acting as a twin rather than a replacement. Lots is sisterly love and great world building. Interested in what the sequel does.

The author did a bang-up job of portraying an autistic MC as well as believable sisters. Story also had good pacing. Overall, a lovely book

Unseelie was an adventure with strong sisterly vibes and good world building. Seelie and Isolde run away due to Seelie’s changling nature. Isolde was the baby that was stolen but her mother fought to get her back and decided to keep Seelie as her adoptive daughter. Seelie is loved by her family and they know not to fear her and her magic but the townsfolk feel different. Seelie has a hard time interacting with humans so her and her sister leave when her magic becomes uncontrollable.
Sisterly adventure, autistic MC, good plot. The fae world is similar to some of the other ya stories out there but in a good way. Interested to see how book 2 plays out.

First I wanna give props to the author for having an autistic main character and writing her so well. I just loved so much about this book, from the fae worlds to the twin back and forth, to the adventure. Being a twin myself (and we couldn’t be more opposite), I really resonated with this book. I just love how the author says we are meant to be as we are 🥹. If you enjoy fae worlds and sibling banter, adventures in the realm, as well as bounty hunter vibes with very light romance sprinkled in, then you may enjoy this one! Looking forward to the next book!

Great forage into fantasy with heavy terrain, but wonderful spotlight on autistic characters. I've found out since finishing that the author is also on the spectrum and that makes so much more sense now. I loved this story and these characters.

Unseelie is the story of twin sisters, Iselia and Isolde who end up on an adventure when Iselia (Seelie) steals an enchanted wagon after killing a toothsayer who tries to poison her on her birthday.
It is a well written book that moves quickly and keeps the reader engaged. I enjoyed the magic elements and felt the world building was well done. The relationship between the sisters is well done, I enjoyed seeing their roles change as they Seelie came in to her magic. My favorite aspect of the book was the portrayal of Seelie as an autistic FMC, an interesting twist on the changeling myth. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy books about Fae kingdoms.

Seelie and her twin Isolde, are living off the grid. Seelie is a changling who cannot control her magic. They are trying to pull off a heist during a party but instead get sucked into deeper fairy magic and have to go on a quest to remove a magical compass from Seelie.
I liked the shape shifter character but the story overall has not stayed with me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this DRC.
#Unseelie #NetGalley

I love stories of the fae especially when changelings are involved. The idea of twins that aren't twins and the barriers this creates between characters raised together who look like each other but are intrinsically different is a fun and interesting concept.

This story is captivating from page one. The writing is well done, the plot and pacing read fast, and the characters are compelling. Throw in a treasure hunt and a heist and you have the makings of a wonderfully intriguing plot. I really enjoyed the lore and adventure that Housman creates. 10/10 would recommend.

I was so excited for this one but sadly it wasn’t hitting!!

The characters annoyed me, all of them. I’m very much a mood reader so take that with a grain of salt.

Seelie was the worst of them, seelie just seemed really whiny. This made it really hard to remember what happened throughout the book. I had to keep going back a few pages and still being so confused. I finished the book but I can’t remember what I read. This makes me so sad because this was one I was very excited for.

I unfortunately didn't like this book as much as I expected. The premise was fantastic but I did not really enjoy reading about the characters. It just did not hold my attention very well.

This book was everything I expected and more! In a book world full of fantasy this was a refreshing take on faeries and magic. The neurodivergent representation was well done and relatable. I appreciate that the author used thier own experiences to inspire the MC's behaviors and coping skills. I am looking forward to see where the conclusion of this duology will lead.

An interesting and exciting take on the fae. The cover drew me in, but I enjoyed the story and the relationship between the two sisters.

The fantasy setting for neurodiverse characters was really cool in this. That's not something that's usually common, so I'm glad for that. What's more, the plot was pretty interesting and engaging. The sibling and found family vibes were also really sweet. My only problem is why was it necessary for there to have been romances for no reason? It's not even a significant part of the plot. It's just... there. It's so... unneeded. The book would've been just fine without it, but so many books keep on adding romance for no reason but the sake of it. Anyways. I really liked this book but just had that one issue.

This was such a fun, immersive, fast-paced fae fantasy! I loved the representation and the world-building, and the voice was wonderfully immersive. Can't wait for the next one!

This was a fun fantasy and interesting play on the changeling myth.

A particular highlight of the book was the relationship between the sisters and seeing how it developed throughout the story, especially as Seelie grows in power and confidence and Isolde has to adjust to a sister who does not need her support as much as once did.

I also think Housman did a great job protraying Seelie's autism, and spinning the myth of the changeling (which is believed to have historically been a possible explanation of autistic people) on its head.

Overall, a great read and I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Overall, I liked this book, but the best part for me was the characters and their dynamics and relationships with each other. It was very interesting to see how things evolved and grew as the story went on. In the beginning of the book, the plot was super interesting and had me hooked. Unfortunately, it seemed to drag around the middle of the book, to the point where it was harder for me to continue, and I mostly did because again, I was enjoying the characters. The pace did pick up again towards the end, and the end did make me very curious about the sequel.