I have done nothing but promote this book to others after I finished the review copy! It was all I had hoped it was going to be and it did not disappoint. In this world, changelings live with many similarities to those in our own world that have autism or are neurodivergent. However, I love that the author never outright says it, they just let their character be themselves. It is so freeing and I loved the main character changeling. This novel was a great deal of fun and fans of folklore/fae will enjoy. Both sisters are relatable and I wish I could visit their traveling wagon. It reminds me a lot of Parnassus on Wheels! Sisters, magic, fairies, hidden treasure, adventure, need I say more?

This book was simply intoxicating! This is one of those books that you want to read again immediately after you finish it because the story comes so alive in you. The plot is intriguing and suspenseful. The story also flows perfectly. I also very much enjoyed the author's writing style. I hope you all love this book when it comes out!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

Unseelie — ARC Review

Rating: ✨4/5✨

Spice: N/A — there was one kiss

Tropes: slow burn (like sooooo slow), enemies to friends, forced proximity, dark secret (kinda), injury

What a debut by @ivehousman. I really enjoyed this book and will definitely pick up the next one in the series.

Where to start? Let’s start by Seelie being the first MC I’ve ever read who has autism. For those who don’t know, my last job was as a medical associate editor. When I was working as an editor, we were taught patient first language. This means you don’t say diabetic person, but rather a person who has diabetes.

The reason I bring this up is that I feel like Ivelisse captures this idea throughout the whole book. Seelie isn’t defined by her autism, it is just one of the facets of who she is. The author never explicitly mentions autism, but she has been promoting it being very clear that Seelie does have autism.

We really see Seelie struggle to accept herself and her powers though. She wants to be human in the worst way. She wants to be like her sister. Seelie is a changeling and I wish that was fleshed out a bit more. I was confused about what a changeling meant in this world. Seelie, herself, seemed unsure so maybe that was purposeful.

The plot twist wasn’t super surprising, but it did bring up a lot of questions and anticipation for the second book.

My final comment is on Raze. I really liked him and felt like Seelie was unnecessarily mean to him, but I’m glad they become friends with the hint of romance to come. I will tell you, I really struggle to finish books with no romance, but this one wove it in just subtly enough that I have hope the next book will have more.

This book comes out on January 3rd, 2023.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @ivehousman for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Unseelie is a fast paced fantasy about fae and changeling twin sisters on the run from a treasure heist. The characters are flawed and realistic, a positive characteristics that makes you want to reach through the pages and shake the twins into making the right decisions. Fantastic autistic representation and a wonderful cast of quirky characters. Overall, this was a wonderful read filled with fae magic, adventure, and characters you can't help but root for!

Absolutely loved this! Fast paced fantasy about two sisters who happen to be changelings running for their lives. as someone who is neuro diverse it was nice to see autistic representation in a book for once.

This book focuses on twin sisters on the run from their past and then even more quickly on the run from a recent robbery job. They’re not exactly twins though. Isolde and Iselia are a human and changeling duo fleeing people who would hunt Iselia for her fae nature and Isolde for her pickpocketing when they find their biggest and most confusing score yet, and somehow get roped into a hunt for a family legacy by a former mercenary and failed heir. I think the thing I like most about this book is that the characters are exhausting and extremely real. You don’t get one singular “sis” instead of a name or nickname the whole time. My least favorite thing is also how exhausting and real these characters are. They are FLAWED. Seelie is infuriating as a narrator and cannot see the error of her own ways and doesn’t tell anyone about what’s going on when she KNOWS something is wrong. I enjoyed the storyline and as of right now this book doesn’t look like there’s a series related on goodreads but with a cliffhanger like that I just KNOW there will be a book two. Even though the characters are a little infuriating I will absolutely read book two.

3.5 stars - This YA Fantasy novel has fairy magic, a mysterious quest, and excellent representation in the autistic main character. Twin sisters attempt a simple treasure heist and find themselves wrapped up in a journey towards even greater treasure, teaming up with a broody, privileged companion and his quick-witted friend. Close quarters and magic training help the four to set aside their differences, and about halfway through the book, the action picks up. Way up. Fairy realm glamor, hi-jinks, and tricks of magic make for entertaining tests for our adventurers.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press!

This is an easy 5-star review for me.

From the absolute killing opening line, to the pacing, the backstory, the world-building, the character development. This is a beautifully written book.

Seelie is a changeling who, along with her sister Isolde, is looking for that one big score - so they can go home to their parents and move away. They've been living on their own for the last couple of years and the two things Seelie wants more than anything is 1. to go home & 2. for her magic to stop acting up.

Seelie is autistic - and I absolutely relate to her needing some space during their travels.

If you like unlikely allies, this one will be for you! There's lots of other things to love in here too.

Slow start, too fast ending

I'm wavering around a 3.5 star rating, so we'll bump it up to 4 stars for the magic wagon and Birch the brownie.

I really enjoyed the representation of the autistic MC, though at times I felt like she was overly babied by her sister and the other two in their traveling gang. I know this is part of the commentary on how we treat neurodivergent individuals in society, but there wasn't enough growth from it to complete the commentary.

It's a cozy read, with not a ton of violence and no smut. The slow burn romance is SLOW, to the point that it left me wanting some sort of acceptance between the two characters that there are feelings. The first antagonist (aunt) falls flat as it seems her only motivation is to gain power. I was much more interested in Gossamer and the mystery of his imprisonment.

A few modern phrases did pull me out of the story, but otherwise the dialogue is spot on and the descriptive language is beautiful.

Overall, I enjoyed it but did have to force myself through the middle half when the pacing really slowed. Would read the next if it was offered as an ARC, but it just didn't have enough action/spice for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: An autistic half-faerie heroine struggles with her own identity while being swept up in a greater scheme with a magical team.

Highlights:
- As someone with ADHD, experiencing the world alongside Seelie made me feel very validated.
- I think the autistic representation was done well. The writing did not seem heavy-handed or forced. It seemed natural.
- I think Seelie's reactions to plot points and other characters made sense and were relatable from a reader standpoint. She grapples with being the "chosen one" as a changeling for the compass, which I think is refreshing in YA fantasy. It can be tiring to read so many all-powerful-teenage-protagonists, so seeing a protagonist be honest and open about her anxiety and fears towards her role was a fantastic chance of pace for this genre.

Lowlights:
- The pacing was very slow for me personally, and I found I was bored for a lot of the plot. To me, there are too many travel scenes. I understand is important for character development, but it did not keep me engaged as a reader. I wish there had been more action during the middle of the book.
- I am DNF'ing around the halfway mark for now, and I hope to return to this title in the future with a clear head. If I were to rate it at my current stopping point, I would rate it a 2/5 stars.

Reviews Posted: October 27, 2022

This was everything that I wanted from a fantasy book. A unique world, an epic adventure, and some amazing characters. Seriously, I could not get enough of everything, and I found myself mad at the end of the book that there wasn’t more.

My favorite thing about the book was definitely the world-building. The author took their time to set it up well and explain the differences in everyone's magic. Since things were paced out well, I never found myself overwhelmed with information, which I think made it easier to get into right off the bat. The use of magic for the plot was well done, and looking back at all the clues the author left was fun.

The characters were all interesting, and I felt they were important to the story. Most of all, they balanced each other out nicely, and I enjoyed seeing them change and grow throughout the story. The only character that continuously got on my nerves was Isolde, and at times her actions didn’t make any sense. Her twin Iselia was my favorite, and I reacted to her on many levels.

The writing, for the most part, was good and for 75% of the book the pace was good. But in the last quarter of the book, it just felt like the author crammed way too many plot points in, and I found myself having to reread parts because everything was moving so fast. The ending left me with my jaw-dropping, and I could not believe that it ended so abruptly. I defiantly sat for a minute to process everything that happened. My favorite part of the writing was the vibe and feeling that the author created, and I don’t know, it was just so comforting, yet exciting.

This was an absolutely fantastic fantasy adventure and Seelie is an amazing character, I love her so much. It’s great to see autistic representation in fantasy and in a way that takes back the changeling myth.

Stories where the main character is just doing their best to help their family are some of my favorites and the bond between Seelie and Isolde and the way Seelie misses her parents and has the clear goal of bringing them all together again was great. I loved her sense of humor and the way she wasn’t entirely confident about what she was doing but the determination of having her family back kept her going.

Olani’s backstory about having brothers so she knows how to fight almost had me rolling my eyes at the stereotypicalness of it but when she continues to say it’s because they’re all healers and can’t fight I thought that was a great change from the norm.

And Birch! I love that brownie and I hope we see him again in the next book, which I can hardly wait for!

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman is about two twin sisters, one changeling and one human, who get roped into a mystery tying the human and fae worlds together. It's written in first person, so we see the entire adventure through the eyes of the protagonist, an autistic girl named Iselia (or Seelie, for short).

I loved Seelie; out of the core cast of four, she was my favorite character. A major arc for her throughout the novel is reconciling with her magic, which proves difficult because she doesn't want to accept it; all she wants is to go back to the way life was before, back home to her parents. She had a lot of big emotions through this book and a lot of messy, angry moments, and I really loved how all of that was shown with care and empathy—it made her feel like a real, relatable teenage girl. I could definitely see myself doing/saying/feeling some of the same things as her! I loved her sarcasm and personality, and I don't think this book would've been nearly as good without her at its heart.

Other than Seelie, the other three main characters were enjoyable to read about as well! Compared to Seelie, however, they felt a tad flat to me, and some of the depth/backstory added felt a little unnatural or shoehorned in. This is particularly true for the love interest (even though I do still love Raze!).

The plot was a little predictable as well, which made the book feel a little slow at times, but I still did enjoy it and was surprised by at least one of the twists. It builds up pretty well for the events of book 2, which I'm excited to read! The worldbuilding and plot combined remind me of the style of animated shows created by Aaron Ehasz (e.g. Avatar The Last Airbender and The Dragon Prince), so if you love these shows, you'll probably enjoy Unseelie as well!

The writing style is very accessible, simple and easily understandable. For some, it might be a little too simple, but for others it'll be just right, depending on personal preference!

A fantastic story, a pleasant mix of old fairy tales and current modern fairy stories, Seelie is an autistic changing who comes into her own power. The book ends perfectly set for book two. I was intrigued with the concept of an autistic main character, as there are not many novels like this for teens to identify with. Houseman does a great job of conveying the sensory overload while weaving in a tentative coming into one’s own power and confidence. I look toward to the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The best way I can describe this novel is this: An autistic changeling must learn how to harness her magic in order to protect her sister and their reluctant allies after a heist goes wrong. It has everything a fantasy lover could ask for!

Seelie Graygrove is a changeling, something she has hated about herself since she was a child. Born with one foot in both the fae world and the human one, she doesn’t really fit anywhere. Adopted by the people she was created to fool and raised with the child she should have replaced; Seelie has tried to suppress the magic inside her for far too long. Her ‘Twin’ sister Isolde has always been there for her, helping her navigate the world while dealing with her autism. After a horrible accident sends them fleeing from their home, the girls have been on their own for years and have turned to a life of crime to stay afloat.

The novel starts off with an attempt to steal from the wealthiest people in the city, but things quickly go wrong when another pair of thieves attempt the same thing. During the scuffle, Seelie ends up magically bonding with a compass that will lead them to the greatest treasure the land has ever seen. All four thieves must work together in order to claim the treasure, and each of them has their own reason for wanting it.

With the former owner of the compass hot on their tails, the four new allies must race to find the treasure while avoiding fae traps as well as human ones, or risk losing everything they care about.

My Review:

Okay, I absolutely LOVED this novel! The characters are strong and dynamic, each with their own motivations, flaws, and pitfalls. The depiction of a highly functional autistic person felt genuine, and the magic system was well developed. One of the things I loved the most about this novel was the worldbuilding. From page one we are immersed in this rich world with all sorts of rules and the characters break almost every one of them! My only complaint over this book is with the chapter breakdowns. Some chapters were long, but others were incredibly short. The pacing of the overall story is steady, but the breakdown didn’t really make a whole lot of sense. Several of the shorter chapters could have been combined to make longer ones, but since that is my only issue, I really can’t complain too much!

There are so many secrets to uncover between the pages and I almost wish I could bleach my brain and read it for the first time again just because it was that good! Unseelie is the first book of what I hope will be a complete series. It drew me in instantly and kept me reading to the point I actually sat at my desk at work for about twenty minutes after my shift to keep reading! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I can’t wait to keep going with the series.

I have been waiting to read Unseelie and the Autistic MC

In This story we meet Seelie, who is a changeling who together with her Human twin sister are out and about in the world. ( alone )

Seekie finds herself struggling with Who & What she is and so Her sister Isolde decided to be on the run with Seelie due to other fears of Who & What Seelie is.

And so we go on this adventure of finding who Seelie is and accepting how powerful and incredible she is. This was quite the ride filled with a lot of magic, secrets, adventure, found family, self discovery and so much more.

I can’t wait till book 2 comes out and just count me in as a fan

I love that we finally have a MC as an autistic individual, as a mother of an autistic child this truly warms my heart! What a wonderful way to represent! 🫶🏼

Thank you Netgalley & Inyard press for an E-copy of this wonderful story.

"Unseelie" is a very good book. It has an enjoyable plot, great characters, and some rather good surprises. However, what makes the story most fascinating is that the main character, Iselia (Seelie), is autistic in a world where the concept/label of autism does not exist, so the term (or anything similar) is never used. The author of the book was diagnosed with autism as a teenager, and never saw herself or her experiences expressed in the books she read. Through Seelie, who is a changeling, the author seeks to convey a sense of what it is like to be autistic -- to see the world differently than "normal" people and to struggle with social conventions and cues and other aspects of day-to-day interaction that other people seem to understand and "perform" better. Seelie is not intended to be a stereotypical depiction of an autistic teenager/young person or a "general" representation of what being autistic is like. However, if you are familiar with the general characteristics that are associated with individuals on the autism spectrum and/or the general criteria used to make an autism spectrum diagnosis, you can see that portrayed in Seelie, her interactions with others, her mannerisms, and how she sees the world. The author does a great job of conveying that what makes Seelie different from others is an integral aspect of who she is, but it does not define her worth or value.

I received the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unseelie was an very fun read about an autistic girl who is a changeling and her twin sister that she was swapped for. The story follows Seelie as she navigates her new powers as well as her own emotions, while she struggles with both her own goal of reuniting with her parents, and the quest that was thrust upon herself and her sister. Though Unseelie is a very typical, and somewhat tropey style fantasy story (find a magical item, team up with your enemy, avoid the big evil baddie) it was refreshing to go on the jounery through the eyes of a neurodivergent main character.
Although Seelie and her sister are twins, their personalities couldn't be more different from each other. Those of us who have struggled in a neurotypical world are able to find ourselves in Seelie.
I was unable to put this book down once I began reading. I love anything that explores the fae realm and this book did not disappoint. I'm excited for the release and would definitely read more from this author.

**Thank you, Netgalley and publisher, for giving me an electronic ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman was a great read, I loved the magic that was displayed throughout the book and the characters were relatable. Everything about this book was beautifully described and I can't wait to read book two.

Overall this was a good read. The autism representation in a fantasy was what initially drew me in. You wouldn’t know the MC is autistic without the author’s note but I don’t believe this is a time where there would be a diagnosis for it so it makes sense. I also love that it gives that it shows how broad a spectrum autism actually is. My only issue with how it was represented was any time a trait that we may understand as autism came up it was chalked up to her being a changeling, which kind of lessened the impact in my opinion.

I really wanted to love this book so much more but some of it just didn’t land or feel organic to me. The pacing was off at times. The relationship between the sisters seemed to go from close to distant in the blank of an eye. The changes in their dynamic without what felt like a significant cause didn’t feel believable. In the beginning I loved the bond, it felt strong but suddenly it started changing when they began working with Olani and Raze. The relationship seemed to grow distant a little too early in the story.

The entire book was question after question. There were just too many things that were left unanswered. I never really felt like I got a true understanding of what a changeling was or the magic. The cliffhanger at the end would’ve been great had I not been frustrated that nothing else was answered or resolved. They make it to their destination only to leave more questions. They get into altercations only to be left with no answers. I kept reading hoping to understand more of something but it never happened.

I will continue to support the series because it was interesting enough to make me want to hopefully get some answers eventually.

I am so grateful to have received the eARC for my honest opinions. Thank you!