By Fairy Means or Foul: Starfig Investigations Book 1, Meghan Maslow

There is a whole helluva lot of stuff going on in this book.  Not taking into account they myriad creatures that flit in and out of each and every scene of the story, there is a vast world of worlds, politics, societal issues, and machinations that could, and sometimes do, trip up the MC's all along the way.  While I do feel that the world-building is ultimately effective, it's a whole lot to tackle and has the potential to derail whatever plot and character growth we hope to see in future installments.  I'll be keeping my eye out for that one.

It's always a gamble tackling a fantastical story like this one and I think we're on our way to a really great series if each element can be reeled in or woven well into whatever craziness Twig and Quinn get thrown at them.  There are a lot of directions we could go with the framework given here and I'm fairly excited to see how it all pans out.  Despite having a ton of potential, there was a lack of depth to the characters and their dynamic.  I wish so hard that this story had an alternating POV.

With only Twig's perspective he felt both obstinate and vacillating because we're tossed from his resolute determination to stick it to his father even to his detriment and then seeing his resolve crumble at various moments where the capitulation was unnecessary.  I had a hard time getting a grasp of who he is and what his real motivations were.  He's got a heap of baggage to sort through and I'm unclear as of yet if he'll improve as he wades through it all and whether or not Quinn will help or hinder his personal evolution.

Quinn is much harder for me to like.  I feel for his plight, truly I do, but his character is similar to Twig's in that he's stubborn just to be stubborn and also vulnerable because of the hand life has dealt him.  Because of his stubbornness he puts Twig into situations where not only is Twig put in danger, but he undermines anything good Twig wants to do and ultimately is given credit for the good that does happen, like he's the one leading Twig around and it feels forced and unnatural.  I don't have a good feeling for where their relationship is going if that's going to be their dynamic from here on out.  I'm hoping my gut is wrong on this one and that Quinn will support and strengthen Twig instead of patronize and placate him, effectively making him a powerless Alpha in the name of "empowering" Quinn's character.

The world and all its intricacies are intriguing, to say the least, and I have a ton of hope for Twig.  With all the complicated relationships he's got going on and the bargains he ends up making with his father I'm excited to see where we go from here.  I'm anticipating situations that will bring individual character growth for Twig, new characters and relationships that will bring humor and a sense of belonging, and deeper interactions (with more steam) with Quinn as the series continues.  I'm definitely diving in to book two as soon as I can.

*$4.99 on Amazon

The last thing half-dragon, half-fairy private investigator Twig Starfig wants to do is retrieve a stolen enchanted horn from a treacherous fae, but there’s no denying the dazzlingly gorgeous unicorn who asks Twig to do just that. Literally, no denying, because compelling the reluctant detective is all part of a unicorn’s seductive magic.

To add to his woes, Twig is saddled with the unicorn’s cheeky indentured servant, Quinn Broomsparkle. Dragons are supposed to want to eat humans, but Twig’s half-dragon side only wants to gobble up Quinn in a more . . . personal way. Making matters worse, it’s obvious the smokin’ hot but untrustworthy sidekick is hiding something. Something big. And not what’s in his trousers. In the PI business, that means trouble with a capital Q.

Throw in gads of zombies, a creepy ghost pirate ship, a malfunctioning magic carpet, and Twig’s overbearing fairy father’s demands to live up to the illustrious Starfig name. Naturally, an old but abiding enemy chooses this time to resurface, too. Those inconveniences Twig can handle. The realization he’s falling for a human who isn’t free to return his affections and whose life may hang on the success of his latest case?

Not so much.