Tithe: A Modern Faery Tale (The Modern Faerie Tales #1)

Reader reviewed by Ria

Kaye Fierch and her mother just moved back to New Jersey from Philadelphia after her mother's boyfriend tried to kill her. Kaye reunites with her best friend Janet, and meets more people, like Janet's bf Kenny. Kenny sees Kaye do something that seems magical, and then he tries to kiss her. Kaye runs away and goes to the forest, where she meets Roiben. Roiben was shot with an arrow and Kaye helps him take it out. She was also told to get the Kelpie, which is kinda like a horse, to help him. Then, she meets her childhood fairy friends, Lutie-loo and Spike. They tell her that she is a pixie herself and that Gristle was killed by Roiben and that she has to help them. There is a war going on between the Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court and both sides wants Kaye's help, but it would end in death. She drags Corny, Janet's brother, into the fantasy world, until she realizes how dangerous it is for him to be there, as a mortal. With Roiben's help, she rescues herself from death and tries to find a way to save Corny.

The fantasy world that Holly Black created is fascinating. She created so many characters, like pixies and faeries, and it was hard to keep track of what was what. The courts were just like courts of kings and queens, expect with different traditions. The most important one was the Tithe, which is the sacrifice of mortal blood to keep everyone in each court bound to it's queen for another 7 years. Kaye was supposed to be the one being sacrificed.

The book was confusing at times. I still don't know what kind of character Roiben is, even though he reminds me of Legolos from LOTR. Overall, this is a really good book. It combines fantasy, mystery, and a little bit of realistic fiction and romance. It even has a little humor. I think that a lot of people would like this book. I give it 4/5 stars and I recommedn this book to everyone