The Changeling Queen: Deluxe Limited Edition

The fairy queen has a story.

On the night of Samhain, a night when the veil that divides the human world from the fae world grows thin, the wild hunt rides. And with them rides a human, chosen by the queen for her retinue. For the land requires sacrifice. But when Tam Lin is pulled from his mount and saved by his true love, the fairy queen’s tale begins. She was once a changeling, the birth-marked young Bess Grieve, the daughter of a cunning woman and midwife. Yet this changeling child was always drawn to the wilds, and so she would return, only to find the land ailing and weakening.

The Changeling Queen by Kimberly Bea is a reimagining of Tam Lin, a Scottish fairy tale, exploring the dual nature of human and fairy. I found myself getting caught up more in Bess’s back story and romance with her shepherd king than being excited about her fae future or remaining interested in the Tam Lin framing device. The story caught me up in its visuals, even though it stretched belief with various details.

Overall, I found the story an enjoyable distraction, but couldn’t pick at it too deeply without finding problems.