I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Unfallen Dead
by
Mark Del Franco
paranormal fantasy in a paperback edition that was published by Ace Books on January 27, 2009 and has 320 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Unshapely Things
Third in the Connor Grey paranormal fantasy series about a powerless Druid in Boston who is discovering that while he may have lost some power, he has gained in other ways.
My Take
It’s one of those series that it’s taken me a bit to warm up to. And I am definitely becoming a fan. I like that del Franco has created a major protagonist who is flawed and discovering those issues. That he’s man enough to realize he isn’t perfect and still steps up. That he stands by his principles no matter who is involved. Or what’s at stake.
In this particular story, the central theme revolves around the aftermath of events in Unquiet Dreams. The fey are concerned that the druids have a new weapon and everything centers around that. Well, and they’re still stuck on the idea that the Consortium is the evil genius behind it all…bwa-hah-hah…! It’s a bit like stereotypical thinking that all Muslims are terrorists.
There’s action a’plenty with the above worry and a number of subplots that continue to pit the Humans against the fey. (Del Franco does a lovely job of spinning these various plots out and then pulling them back together and tying them up.) It’s part of Connor’s self-discovery that he is so much more aware of the ways in which the fey disrespect humans and his mission(s) always include finding closure and fair play for humanity. Connor is also quite disrespectful…snicker…towards anyone he sees as acting like a jerk.
Del Franco needs to work on making Meryl more believable as a possible evil fey. Her so-called behavior has more the feel of an afterthought on his part. Nor is Connor’s attraction to Meryl believable. Sure, del Franco uses the words to tell us how much he wants her. But, it’s just words. I just ain’t feelin’ it. As for Meryl’s friendship with Winny…didn’t Meryl know her background? I mean, besides having been the chief archivist before her??
I swear that del Franco must be setting up a long-term goal for Connor. It’s part of what keeps drawing me back. I’m just dying to find out how del Franco plans to stick it to the man! And del Franco just keeps piling up the possibilities. Hmmm, Way Keeper… It has possibilities.
It cracks me up how Connor’s wayward powers keep surprising him and others, such as Ceridwen. I don’t get why Connor was so upset about Dylan. He’s fey. They’re both fey. And del Marco keeps going on about how sex is seen differently by the fey. So…what??
This is just full of examples of stupidity on the part of the various factions. Admittedly, their focused fears do provide quite a bit of the story.
Sneaky!! Connor has this little legal problem? And he and Joe come up with a very sneaky way around it. You’ll love it!
The Story
The Taint from the essence explosion is affecting everyone, heightening emotions which are themselves exploding in all sorts of ways. Then an old friend of Connor’s arrives to take command at the Guild in Boston with Keeva being suspended although his true missions are something different.
Every faction has their concerns about how the Taint from the essence explosion is affecting the world and what that effect will have on their own people: Briallen ponders the similarities on how essence affected the fey during Convergence and what’s happening with Connor today, and Queen Maeve worries about a secret Druid plot. And Commissioner Scott is using the Taint as an excuse to treat the fey and the Weird like a second-class party.
What remains to be seen is how and why the unknown, murdering druidess fits into the murders that are occurring around Boston.
Meanwhile, the veil between our world and TirNaNog is thinning as it hasn’t since Convergence and beings are assaulting Connor while the Way Seeker wants Connor.
The Characters
Connor Grey is a druid who lost what he had considered his powers in an eco-terrorist encounter right along with his job as an investigator in the Fey Guild. He’s slowly been learning what an arrogant, selfish man he had been as well as discovering new benefits to his current state. Joe, a.k.a., Stinkwort, is a flit who has been with Connor’s family for generations. A good person to have at your back. Even if he does eat all the Oreos!
Detective Lieutenant (someone got a promotion) Leo Murdock is the Boston cop who consults with Connor when the case involves the fey. Too often, the Guild refuses to take a case unless it involves someone powerful, and the police department is forced to deal with it. Murdock likes his work, likes working fey cases. He has his own mystery what with the explosion of essence he suffered in Unshapely Things. Completely unlike his father, Commissioner Scott Murdock, who hates the fey. Including Connor. Liz DeJesus is a fellow cop and an ex-flame of Murdock’s who is investigating Olivia Merced‘s death. Seems there’s a connection to the old Ardman case for both sides.
Meryl Dian is a druidess and the chief archivist for the Guild. She’s also become Connor’s friend although she’s not above pointing out his weaknesses. Dylan macBain was Connor’s partner in New York City before Connor ran off and now he’s the department director. Today, he’s on a secret assignment to recover stolen jewels and force Connor to talk. Briallen verch Gwyll ab Gwyll is Dylan’s “aunt”, Connor’s friend, and a powerful druidess with the standing of an underQueen.
The Fey Guild is something of an all-in-one for the fey in Boston. Law enforcement, government, and consulate. Just don’t expect them to help you. Keeva macNeeve is the fairy Community Liaison Officer for Community Affairs. She’s also suspended after events in Unquiet Dreams which is only reasonable for all the screwing up she’s done in the past two stories! Nigel Martin is a powerful druid. He was Connor’s mentor when he still had his powers and dropped Connor like a hot coal after his accident. Ryan macGoren appears briefly. Guildmaster Manus ap Eagan is still alive and holding. Gillen Yor is the irascible High Healer at Avalon Memorial.
Ceridwen, an arrogant Danann fairie, is an underQueen of Faerie sent by Maeve, High Queen at Tara, to investigate the effects of the Taint from events in Unquiet Dreams. She doesn’t care who she accuses as long as she gets the answers she wants. Whether the answers exist or not.
Eorla Kruge, the Marchgrafin, got the Guild Director position she wanted.
Josef Kaspar was a human who lost his love. Liddell Viten was a kobold masquerading as a human to scam both humans and fey. Rhonda Powell was his lover and partner. Lady Rosavear Ardman is Inverni fey; Sophie Wells is her assistant.
Carmine is a fey party planner, a.k.a., pimp. He rather misses Connor’s old income… Belgor is an elf who runs a supply shop for the occult in the Weird; his real income is derived from stolen goods and he has served as a snitch for Connor frequently.
Bergin Vize is an eco-terrorist and an elf. A face-
off with Connor resulted in Connor losing his powers and now he will do anything to thwart Vize.
Convergence occurred in the early part of the nineteenth century when Faerie and our world collided and parts merged. The Ways between the realms — Faerie, TirNaNog, Valhalla, Avalon, Caer Wydry, Asgard — closed. Tara is the heartland of the Celtic fey while Externsteine in Germany is that of the elves. The Weird is an insalubrious neighborhood in Boston with a preponderance of fey; Connor lives there.
The Cover and Title
It’s Connor squatting on the cover in amongst the gargoyles atop a high building with a nightlit Boston skyline far in the background.
The title is quite accurate in several ways: the Unfallen Dead include an unexpected “resurrection”, a useful “death”, a pack of angry terrorists from the Pride Wind of Connor’s past, and those who are dead in TirNaNog and want to return.
[…] Read another review here and here. […]