The second Circuit Fae novel, Ouroboros, continues the tale of Rouen and Syl. In the aftermath of events from Moribund, the pair are left hunting down Agravaine’s caches of super Moribund, called Ouroboros. Moreso than the Moribund, Ouroboros are incredibly lethal and infectious.

That’s not the pair’s only problem either. As the new school year begins, Fiann returns from ‘rehab’, and she’s out to find the Ouroboros caches too. When a new boy joins the school, things begin to heat up. Aldebaran is a fair Fae, claiming Syl is his princess, and she must bond with him to fully Awaken. However, he tricks her into putting on the equivalent of an engagement ring, sending her magic into overdrive, and making it want to attack Rouen. But when Fiann gets ahold of a Ouroboros cache, Syl and Rouen must up their game, taking the battle all the way to the depths of UnderHollow itself.

This was a great sequel. Syl and Rouen continue to grow. I love the sarcastic banter between them. There’s lots of really emo parts, but the story owns that, turning it to a playful joke. It’s quite touching to watch them explore their feelings for one another, while also navigating the cultural differences.

Fiann is still an uber-ass in this book. She craves the Fae magic, like an addict craves crack. Unfortunately, mundane drug rehab is of no help. I love how she uses all these cheesy predictable ‘villain’ lines, and Rouen or Syl calls her out on it. Or they tease one another when they themselves use cheese lines.

Aldebaran is an ass too. He comes across as entitled and misogynistic. He craves Syl’s power, but discounts the idea of women leading, or fighting. I don’t think he got nearly what he deserved, and I’m sure he’ll turn up again, like a bad penny. We’ve only seen Agravaine, and Rouen among the dark Fae. I’m interested in what the other dark Fae are like. And Ms Jardin! What’s her game? Why is she trapped? I’d be beyond pissed if I were her.

The Moribund is explored more. It seems to consist of aggregates of nanite-like things, capable of being reshaped at will. I didn’t understand why Agravaine would leave the caches for Fiann in the first place. Unless that was his final revenge– setting loose a crazed, delusional human with access to raw destructive magick.

The Fae courts sound beautiful, Summer and Winter both. We briefly get to see each, and I hope we see more of them in future books. I loved the Winter Court. That’s no surprise, given that summer heat can be as dangerous to me as Summer can to Rouen. I have a broken inner thermostat, and if  I get overheated it can take hours to reverse.

***Many thanks to Netgalley, XPresso Tours and the author for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Check out my review for Moribund!