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Silverblind: Ironskin #3    by Tina Connolly Amazon.com order for
Silverblind
by Tina Connolly
Order:  USA  Can
Tor, 2014 (2014)
Hardcover, e-Book
* *   Reviewed by Hilary Williamson

Readers first met young Adora Rochart in the first of Tina Connolly's Ironskin trilogy, set in a world recovering from a Great War between humans and fey. Dorie was born to a woman taken over by the fey while pregnant. She has extraordinary fey talents but it was a huge challenge for her as a child to learn to interact in human fashion.

Silverblind is Dorie's story. She has completed her university studies and hopes to win a field work position at the Queen's Lab. Half-human, half-fey, she keeps her fey abilities hidden. Indeed, she has not called on them for over a decade, ever since she betrayed her childhood friend Tam. Dorie's job interviews do not go well, despite her being top in her class - a field position is not considered suitable for a girl.

Since Dorie can't find work as a young woman, she magically changes herself into a boy, Dorian Eliot, and immediately finds work hunting wyvern eggs which are 'pure poison to fey'. She encounters her childhood friend Tam (who of course does not recognize her as Dorian). But Dorie does not turn in all the eggs - she uses many to cure ironskins. The first one she cures, Colin, helps her. Unfortunately their work is illegal.

Tam collects stories about the fey and one hints that power can be gained from basilisks to control the fey. Silvermen hunt fey in the city. Dorie learns that the authorities are using feywort to split the fey as a source of energy. Her parents speak out against this and get in trouble with the authorities for it. Dorie is torn between loyalties, as is Tam. But each does what they believe to be right.

Silverblind is another well developed story in an intriguing series and I look forward to whatever Tina Connolly writes next.

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