Birthright by E.J. Stevens - 4.75/5. An incredible addition to the series!

Today, I am reviewing the Urban Fantasy story Birthright by E.J. Stevens. The fourth full novel in the Ivy Granger series, it follows Ms. Granger down into Faerie, as she seeks her father and the knowledge she needs in order to prevent further Unseelie-sponsored assassination attempts. She brings along her kelpie beloved, Ceff, and the notoriously naughty cat sidhe Torn as they hunt down the court of the wisps, Ivy’s own people, and make some new and shocking discoveries on the way. 

I give this book a 4.75/5. Here is my breakdown.

Characters: 5/5. This time the story focused on just three of our large cast, and that time allowed for us to really explore them in further detail. We get to see new wrinkles in the relationship between Ceff and Ivy, including some developments that have been a long time coming, in this reader’s opinion. Torn rounds out the cast and provides the exact amount of snark and nonchalance that the other two need to balance them out.

Plot/Storyline: 5/5. Incredibly, I think that Stevens’ storytelling gets better and better with every book. Birthright was amazing and compelling, grabbing hold of my mind and never letting go. I followed every twist of the story with relish, looking forward to whatever was coming next. Faerie felt like a new world, as it should, and the rules and laws were both alien and familiar, the echoes of stories that many have already forgotten. Fantastic job!

Flow: 5/5. A worthy successor to a worthy series, Birthright is incredibly tight and well-crafted. The action fills the time without bloating it, and every scene is made so that it flows into the next. No wasted space, no wasted time, and a sense of urgency that makes you want to know what happens next. In the wisp court in particular, Stevens used a slower pace to her advantage, leaving me chomping at the bit in order to find out what was going on next.

Spelling/Grammar: 4.5/5. I counted exactly 4 minor spelling errors in the entirety of the work. That’s outstanding. Phenomenal. A vast improvement over Burning Bright, and a credit to both her and her editor. Well done!

Overall: 4.75/5. I don’t know how much more I can say about E.J. Stevens without seeming like a fanboy…but what the hell. She’s awesome. Her books are awesome. I recommend her to everyone that I meet that enjoys this kind of work, and hold her up as an exemplar when people discuss modern urban fantasy writers. With tight work, fantastic characters, and stories crafted from the quicksilver of Faerie itself, Stevens is a writer that you must try.

The new minor characters, including Ivy’s uncle, the current regent of the wisp court, are well-fleshed out and intriguing. I admit to cheering when Flavio got what was coming to him ;)

Plot/Storyline: 5/5. Incredibly, I think that Stevens’ storytelling gets better and better with every book. Birthright was amazing and compelling, grabbing hold of my mind and never letting go. I followed every twist of the story with relish, looking forward to whatever was coming next. Faerie felt like a new world, as it should, and the rules and laws were both alien and familiar, the echoes of stories that many have already forgotten. Fantastic job!

Flow: 5/5. A worthy successor to a worthy series, Birthright is incredibly tight and well-crafted. The action fills the time without bloating it, and every scene is made so that it flows into the next. No wasted space, no wasted time, and a sense of urgency that makes you want to know what happens next. In the wisp court in particular, Stevens used a slower pace to her advantage, leaving me chomping at the bit in order to find out what was going on next.

Trust me.

You can find Birthright, along with the rest of her works, at the link below.